Hundreds of people on Vancouver Island were without power overnight heading into Boxing Day, as a windstorm battered B.C.’s coast in the middle of the week.
A storm system brought wind gusts of up to 140 km/h in exposed sections of the B.C. coast, leading to widespread ferry cancellations between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island and in straits and inlets in southwest B.C.
At one point on Christmas Day, more than 8,000 B.C. Hydro customers were without power, as around 100 mm of rain struck parts of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
The utility says around 400 customers on Quadra, Cortes and Denman islands were without power overnight, as ferry cancellations meant crews could not reach their communities in time to repair downed power lines.
“Crews are standing by and will attend once sailings resume,” read an update from the utility around 3 p.m. PT on Dec. 25. “Customers on Quatsino will also be without power, potentially through Friday, due to the specialty equipment required for repairs and ongoing inclement weather.” Quatsino is about 390 km northwest of Victora.
As of 7:30 a.m. PT on Boxing Day, around 6,200 B.C. Hydro customers were without power in the province. While some early-morning ferries were cancelled between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, others were proceeding as scheduled.
Wind and rainfall warnings remain in place for parts of the B.C. coast, including Metro Vancouver, but Environment Canada says the winds and rain could ease by midday Thursday.
The low-pressure system bringing rain and wind on Boxing Day is the third in a series of storms to hit the South Coast this week.
It is also bringing snow to the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) between Hope and Merritt, as well as around 30 cm of snowfall to Highway 3 between Paulson Summit and Kootenay Pass in the southern Interior.
Officials advised residents to check road conditions and give themselves extra commuting time this week, as well as to check up on emergency resources to ensure they’re prepared.