A few schools in the Nanaimo, B.C., area remain closed on Thursday due to damage from Tuesday night’s bomb cyclone.
North Oyster Elementary, Ecole Hammond Bay, Gabriola Elementary and Qwam Qwum Stuwixwhul School remain closed due to power outages from the storm.
As of Thursday morning, BC Hydro said it has restored power to more than 290,000, or more than 90 per cent, of the nearly 320,000 customers impacted by the windstorm.
As of 6:30 a.m., about 28,000 customers are without power on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
BC Hydro said the extensive damage meant crews had to replace dozens of spans of power lines, power poles and other electrical equipment.
It also said it expects to have the majority of the remaining customers restored on Thursday, with the possible exception of some customers in areas with significant damage.