Another powerful storm system moving through B.C.’s South Coast is expected to dampen cleanup efforts following this weekend’s massive windstorm.
An Environment Canada rainfall warning is in effect for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with up to 50 millimetres expected near the mountainous regions. Up to 80 millimetres could fall in Howe Sound, complicating efforts to turn on the power to the thousands that remain in the dark.
At the peak of the storm, power was knocked out to half a million people in the region as tinder-dry trees started snapping and falling onto homes, roadways and power lines. The Vancouver Park Board closed Stanley Park and urged visitors to leave as soon as possible. In Surrey, RCMP told residents to stay inside their homes. A woman that community suffered life-threatening injuries after being hit by a falling tree.
By Monday morning, the number of customers without power had decreased to just 60,000, spread from Vancouver to the Fraser Valley and the North Shore.
BC Hydro spokesperson Simi Heer said teams have been making fantastic progress despite the massive damage to power lines, and customers were being brought online by the thousands each hour.
“We’re dealing with extensive damage to the system. We have trees that have brought down lines, brought down power poles, severed lines,” she said.
Heer said the impending rainstorm could interfere with progress if it was accompanied by high winds.
“We’re okay with rain as long as the wind gusts aren’t too fast and too high. Our crews are used to the rain but it does slow them down a bit operationally,” she told CTV News Channel.
Some of those left in the dark over the weekend took to Twitter to express frustration that electrical service was still off more than 48 hours after it was taken out, and food in their fridges and freezers is now spoiled.
Adding to customer’s frustrations is that BC Hydro’s outages website was down for most of the weekend because of IT issues, leaving customers unable to see the estimated expected outages times.
"We know our customers look to that site for restoration times and for information on how we’re doing in terms of progress on power restoration and it’s really unacceptable that is was unavailable and we apologize to our customers for that source of information not being there,” Heer told CTV Vancouver.
The North Vancouver campus of Capilano University was closed Monday over power outage issues as staff sought to “resume all operations.”
Crews from across B.C., including Terrace, Prince George, Vancouver Island and Smithers, were dispatched to the Lower Mainland to help restore power.
The City of Vancouver says it could take several weeks to fully clean up all the debris left behind from the storm, the biggest seen in the region in years. The winds toppled dozens of trees, some of which landed on cars and homes.
ICBC says most of the vehicles struck by trees are likely to be written off, but they will be covered under insurance provided the owner has comprehensive coverage.
If past storms in the region are any indication, cleanup costs could run into the millions.
The 2006 windstorm that heavily damaged Stanley Park cost the insurance industry $100 million.
No cleanup yet at this house in #Surrey's Fraser Heights. pic.twitter.com/VqhVcYvO1E
— Janet Brown (@JanetBrown980) August 31, 2015
Adverse weather this morning has caused a couple of additional outages in the #LowerMainland. Work continues on previous and new damage.
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) August 31, 2015
This samosa store in #Surrey is still out of power—forced to throw out thousands of dollars worth of food. #BCstorm pic.twitter.com/ahLS0P9gt0
— Sarah MacDonald (@MacDonald_Sarah) August 31, 2015