Scores of B.C. Interior residents still without power four days after snowstorm

Four days after a snowstorm blanketed B.C.’s Interior, scores of residents are still without power.

The storm started the evening of Dec. 30 and dumped loads of snow overnight. By the morning of Dec. 31, thousands of residents were without electricity, with BC Hydro reporting that around 160,000 of its customers were without power.

According to BC Hydro, more than 60 per cent of its customers had power restored within the first 24 hours and 90 per cent in 48 hours.

On the morning of Jan. 2, BC Hydro said approximately 11,200 were without power, largely in rural and hard-to-access areas near Salmon Arm, Vernon, Nakusp and Kamloops.

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However, as of Jan. 3, many were still without power.

In the Salmon Arm area, for example, 176 customers (12 outages) have been without power since Dec. 31. In Kamloops, there are 182 customers (7 outages) without power.

When and how long before power is fully restored isn’t known, though BC Hydro says restoration efforts are continuing, though progress has been slowed due to significant tree damage and unplowed roads.

2:36 Thousands without power for third day in BC’s Southern Interior

To compound the matters, more snow blew into the region Thursday evening and early Friday. Further, BC Hydro sent out a social media warning, stating “the forecast calls for more snow today and tomorrow in the Interior, and we’re asking customers to prepare for the possibility of more outages.”

As of Friday morning, there were 111 outages in the Thompson and Shuswap regions affecting 1,818 customers, while there were 44 outages in the Okanagan and Kootenays affecting 628 customers and four outages in Northern B.C. affecting 1,626 customers.

There are also 14 outages on Vancouver Island, seven in the south affecting 1,109 customers and seven in the north affecting 1,705 customers.

To view BC Hydro’s power outage map, click here.