UPDATE: BC Hydro says crews have made steady progress in repairing damage by the snowstorm that blanketed B.C.’s Interior on New Year’s Eve, and that some areas should have power restored by Saturday evening.
“The rural location of the damage and snow-covered roads that are still being cleared is making restoration more challenging,” BC Hydro said shortly after 12 p.m., on Saturday.
“Snow is up to three feet in places and crews are having to clear roads and dig around equipment in order to make repairs. Repair work will continue around the clock until power is restored to the region.”
According to BC Hydro, here are the estimated restoration times for Southern Interior communities:
- Evening of Jan. 4: Lardeau Valley, New DenverSalmon Arm, Sorrento, Sicamous (south)
- Jan. 5: Johnsons Landing
- Jan. 6: North Shore / Scotch Creek / Anglemont
As of 3 p.m., here were the latest current power outages:
- Lower Mainland / Sunshine Coast: 8 outages, 189 customers affected
- Northern Vancouver Island: 10 outages, 333 customers affected
- Okanagan / Kootenay: 22 outages, 92 customers affected
- Thompson / Shuswap: 34 outages, 1,055 customers affected
- Northern B.C.: 4 outages, 483 customers affected
ORIGINAL STORY:
The start of the new year has been less than bright for many BC Hydro customers. There were more than 100 power outages in B.C. as of Saturday morning, with more than 18,000 customers without power.
According to BC Hydro, as of 9 a.m., the largest number of power outages were in the Thompson and Shuswap regions, where 54 outages affected 12,475 customers.
There have been 30 outages in the Okanagan and Kootenays affecting 1,360 customers, along with 19 outages on northern Vancouver Island (1,880 customers) and 18 in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast (1,731 customers).
Of the 53 outages in the Thompson and Shuswap, 11 were new, while two outages have been ongoing since Dec. 30, with another six since Dec. 31. The remaining outages are said to have occurred Jan. 1-3.
In the Okanagan, some Lumby residents have been without power since New Year’s Eve. There are four ongoing power outages since Dec. 31 (342 customers) and another four since Jan. 1 (less than 20 customers).
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On Saturday morning, B.C. Hydro reported a new outage in Peachland and Summerland, citing a fallen tree across power lines, affecting 656 customers.
Also, 218 have been without power in Vernon from a new outage, with snow cited as the cause.
In the Fraser Valley, hundreds have been without power.
Three power outages have been reported in Hope (478 customers), including two new ones; one in Kent (247 customers); and 11 in Mission, Langley and Maple Ridge (944 customers), including seven new outages.
FortisBC reported four power outages in B.C.’s Interior, including two in Kelowna affecting 214 customers.
To view B.C. Hydro’s power outage map, click here.
To view FortisBC’s power outage map, click here.
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