The storm’s not over yet for parts of coastal B.C.
Environment Canada issued new wind warnings Saturday for Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, after the region was walloped with high winds Friday as part of a powerful storm swell that swept through the South Coast.
The biggest warning is for Haida Gwaii, which is on track to face winds from the southeast up to 120 kilometres per hour.
For Vancouver Island, winds clocked in around 100 kilometres per hour, while the Sunshine Coast, from Gibsons to Powell River, saw gusts reach 90 kilometres per hour.
The wind got worse throughout the day before tapering off into the evening, but the region was already feeling the effects by early Saturday afternoon.
BC Ferries cancelled a number of sailings in the area, including all sailings between Cortes and Quadra islands and some afternoon sailings between Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Malcolm Island due to the weather.
Sailings were also cancelled for the day between Powell River and Comox, along with service between Alliford Bay and Skidegate.
At least one person in Haida Gwaii said trees had been knocked down across the road near the Sandspit airport. At one point wind, gusts were being recorded at 130 kilometres per hour.
BC Hydro was dealing with just over 1,100 power outages midday Saturday in the affected regions. Among the hardest-hit areas were Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Sechelt, where a tree had taken down power lines.
Saturday’s high winds came a day after a similar forecast was projected for a majority of the South Coast on Friday. Despite warnings of winds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour, the gusts largely topped off at 70 kilometres per hour in parts of Metro Vancouver, with the heaviest brunt of the storm hitting Washington state.
Winds did top 100 kilometres per hour on Herbert Island and in parts of Victoria, Environment Canada confirmed Saturday.
More than 8,000 people lost power in the region, but by Saturday morning service had mostly been restored.
BC Hydro also posted video of crews dealing with high winds while restoring service in Nanaimo on Friday. The city is one of several cleaning up fallen trees and debris after Friday’s storm.
—With files from Jon Azpiri and Simon Little
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