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Tens of thousands in B.C. without power in wake of overnight storm

Click to play video: 'Fierce storm rattles south coast'
Fierce storm rattles south coast
Flooded streets, power outages, and fallen trees are all over Metro Vancouver after a major storm swept through the region. Alissa Thibault has more on the fallout – Nov 11, 2023

An overnight storm has left tens of thousands of people along B.C.’s South Coast without power.

According to BC Hydro, just over 200 power outages were affecting 79,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast as of noon Saturday, while another 3,200 customers along the north end of Vancouver Island were also without power.

BC Hydro said crews would be working around the clock to restore power.

A map showing sites of power outages along B.C.’s South Coast on Saturday morning, Nov. 11, 2023. BC Hydro

At its peak, BC Hydro says more than 232,000 customers were affected, but that power has been restored to 147,000 customers so far.

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The hardest-hit areas, said BC Hydro, are Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge and Vancouver.

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A wind warning was issued Friday afternoon but has since been lifted, with the storm now heading inland towards the Interior; however, in its wake, debris was scattered across roadways.

Click to play video: 'B.C. evening weather forecast: Nov.10'
B.C. evening weather forecast: Nov.10

“Drought-damaged trees and branches came down on electrical equipment during the windstorm, causing significant damage,” said BC Hydro, adding it has all hands on deck responding to the storm.

“All available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews are working hard to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Crews are busy replacing power lines, poles and other equipment to get the lights back on.”

On Saturday, a rainfall warning was in effect for the Fraser Valley, with 50 to 70 mm expected.

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Residents are urged to unclog catch basins to avoid potential flash floods and pooling water on roadways.

A map showing the power outages is available on BC Hydro’s website.

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