British Columbians stocked up for COVID-19, but unprepared for storms: BC Hydro

British Columbians may have stocked up on COVID-19 supplies, but a new report from BC Hydro suggests many may have a false sense of security going into storm season.

The Crown corporation says it’s seen a 117 per cent increase in storm-related power outages since 2014, with storms increasing in both frequency and severity.

According to a survey BC Hydro commissioned last month, one in five British Columbians felt better prepared this year than in previous storm seasons due to the pandemic.

“Although many British Columbians think they’re really prepared, because of COVID-19 they’ve stocked up on a bunch of things from groceries, to alcohol to personal hygiene products, but they don’t have the necessary prep for storm season,” spokesperson Susie Rieder said.

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The survey also found that British Columbians would be unlikely to leave their homes to wait out an outage in a public place such as a mall or movie theatre this year, due to the pandemic.

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Fewer than half of British Columbians have an emergency kit, the survey found, while fewer than one in three have taken steps to plan for a power outage that could last days.

Younger British Columbians aged 18 to 34 were the most likely to say they were unprepared.

Reider said storms are now regularly knocking out power to an average one million British Columbians per year, making it crucial for residents to have the right supplies and plans.

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The powerful windstorm that hit B.C.’s south coast in 2018, for example, left some people without power for more than a week.

“The take-home message is that you really need to be prepared,” Reider said.

“Being prepared for COVID is very important as well, but you must be prepared for outages because they are getting worse and more frequent and there are a lot of dangers with outages.”

Reider said people should have enough drinking water for 72 hours per person, a good first aid kit and non-perishable food in their kit.

They should also have a flashlight and batteries, a battery pack for their cellphone and warm clothing, she said, as well as a contingency plan for if the power goes out.