Second Windstorm Threatens B.C. South Coast as 40,000 Remain Without Power
B.C. officials warned of more outages as a second round of strong winds approached the South Coast. About 40,000 customers were still without power Saturday morning after Friday’s storm, while B.C. Ferries cancelled evening sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay and warned more trips could be affected.
Environment and Climate Change Canada warned of possible power outages across parts of British Columbia’s South Coast on Saturday as a second round of strong winds approached, while about 40,000 B.C. Hydro customers remained without power after Friday’s storm.
The warnings covered most of Vancouver Island, including Victoria, as well as Metro Vancouver, the Southern Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and the Fraser Canyon. Forecasters expected southeasterly winds of 70 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h, on Saturday afternoon.
B.C. Ferries cancelled evening sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay in both directions, along with trips on smaller routes. More sailings were at risk, the company said, and advised travelers to check current conditions before going to a terminal.
“Our crews and operations teams are closely monitoring conditions, and while we always aim to keep people moving, the safety of our passengers and crew must come first,” spokesperson Lilian Kim said.
The cancellations followed disruptions on Friday, when strong winds forced multiple ferry trips off the schedule and caused evening delays as the service worked to catch up.
About 40,000 B.C. Hydro customers were without power Saturday morning, down from a peak of about 80,000 after Friday’s storm. More than 30,000 customers on Vancouver Island alone lost power at the height of the storm.
The storm also brought down trees across the central Interior and northern B.C., cutting power to about 23,000 customers in 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Vanderhoof. At one point, about one-third of Prince George was without electricity.
“What we really saw [Friday] was the storm coming in waves,” B.C. Hydro spokesperson Whitney Dean said. New outages came as crews restored power elsewhere, she said, keeping restoration teams busy.
Dean said crews were focused on restoring service while preparing for potentially stronger winds. She urged customers to keep a 72-hour emergency kit with batteries and flashlights.
Strong winds were also forecast for the Interior, where a weather statement covered a broad area from Hope north to Burns Lake. Gusts of 60-80 km/h were expected to strengthen Saturday afternoon and peak Sunday morning, with another cold front forecast to bring stronger winds Sunday afternoon.
Flooding risks added to the storm response. The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued high streamflow advisories for most of Vancouver Island and the South and Central coasts, including the Sea-to-Sky region and lower Fraser River basin.
Parts of Vancouver Island had received up to 210 millimeters of rain since Thursday. Forecasters warned that high tides could worsen flooding in low-lying coastal areas as waterways on northern and western Vancouver Island rose rapidly.
A coastal flooding statement warned that elevated ocean levels, strong winds and waves could push water above the highest astronomical tides, making minor flooding along low-lying shorelines likely over the weekend.
