Strong winds have caused widespread damage to BC Hydro’s electrical system in multiple regions of the province, resulting in outages to around 120,500 customers.
The high winds caused branches and trees to break and come into contact with BC Hydro’s electrical equipment, said Tanys Fish of BC Hydro.
The hardest hit areas are the Southern Interior, Lower Mainland, and northern Vancouver Island.
A snow storm in the Peace region also caused damage and resulted in outages to customers in Dawson Creek, Chetwynd and Smithers.
BC Hydro crews are continuing to work to repair damaged equipment, including power lines, power poles and transformers. All available resources will continue to work throughout the evening and overnight to safely restore power.
Due to the extent of damage in some areas, customers in the hardest hits areas should prepare to be without power overnight. This includes customers in Chase, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Dawson Creek and 100 Mile House.
BC Hydro is receiving reports of downed power lines. A downed power line is considered an emergency situation and members of the public should stay at least 10 metres back and call 911 immediately.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as repair work continues and will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
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