Increased risk of 'significant' power outages due to impact of drought, wildfires: BC Hydro

BC Hydro is urging customers to be prepared for power outages, saying the risk is elevated due to the impacts of wildfires and drought.

The province saw an extremely dry summer, which fuelled the worst wildfire season on record. The damage done by the extreme weather has elevated the risk that power will be knocked out and service will see "significant" disruptions, the utility says.

"Long, dry stretches during the summer put local vegetation under stress,” Susie Rieder, BC Hydro spokesperson “Trees weakened by drought and associated disease can be more susceptible to wind, and many of these, said in a statement.

"Trees still have leaves late in the season making them increasingly susceptible to wind and adding weight from rain or snow. As storm season ramps up, a substantial number of dead and damaged trees and branches are expected to fall, contributing to power outages.”

In addition, the persistent drought means that some of the largest resevoirs in the prvince are still at lower-than-normal levels.

BC Hydro replaced 1,400 power poles and 90 kilometres of power lines that were damaged due to wildfires, impacting 200,000 customers across the province. In addition to that repair work, the utility has ramped up preparation for storm season.

"This includes inspecting trees and other tall vegetation growing near BC Hydro’s infrastructure to identify potential problems. Trees and adverse weather are the single biggest cause for power outages in B.C. – more than half of all power outages are caused by trees and bad weather," the statement from BC Hydro explains.

To prepare for an outage BC Hydro says everyone should have an emergency kit with supplies that can last 72 hours, should know where to get updates, and should understand the risks associated with downed power lines.

More information is available online.