Overnight power outages expected after destructive B.C. storm

More than 230,000 households and businesses in British Columbia were without electricity Monday during the peak of a storm during which heavy rains and strong winds downed power lines.

More than 100,000 BC Hydro customers on the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island remained without electricity into the afternoon – and the utility warned that some outages would last overnight.

“Crews will work throughout the night and into the day tomorrow until all customers are restored. We'll continue to provide estimated restoration times for individual outages as they're available,” an update from BC Hydro said.

“Our first priority is outages involving downed lines and situations posing a risk to public safety. Next, crews will focus on restoring power to critical and municipal services, followed by large outages affecting the highest number of customers, and then to smaller outages.”

BC Hydro said anyone who encounters a downed power line should keep at least 10 metres away and call 911 immediately. The utility notes that a multi-year drought has weakened trees, making them more prone to being toppled by strong winds.

Wind warnings lifted

In since-lifted wind warnings, Environment Canada said wind speeds of up to 110 km/h were expected over parts of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, while the Lower Mainland and Interior regions were bracing for winds of up to 100 km/h throughout the day. The weather agency also called for between 70 mm and 100 mm of rainfall on Vancouver Island, while parts of Metro Vancouver could see upwards of 70 mm of rain, it said.

Residents were urged to clear storm drains of leaves and debris to help prevent localized flooding, while the weather office warned that winds could toss loose objects and cause injury or property damage.

A deluge of rain during the morning commute caused multiple crases in Metro Vancouver. 

Highway warnings still in effect

Elsewhere in the province, winter storm warnings remain in effect for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt and Highway 3 between Grand Forks and Creston.

Environment Canada says rapidly accumulating and blowing snow are creating "near-zero visibilities and treacherous driving conditions" along both major highways.

Snowfall accumulations are expected to range from 20 centimetres at the Coquihalla summit to nearly 40 centimetres at Kootenay Pass on Highway 3 by Tuesday morning, according to the weather office.

"The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will result in severely reduced visibilities and blowing snow conditions," the warning said.

The snow was expected to “dissipate” around midnight.