Winds Cause 103,000 Power Outages in BC Lower Mainland

Strong winds battered British Columbia's Lower Mainland overnight, leaving more than 100,000 BC Hydro customers without power on Wednesday morning. The outages, affecting primarily Metro Vancouver and surrounding areas, stemmed from gusts reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour that toppled trees and debris onto electrical infrastructure.

BC Hydro reported that as of early Wednesday, approximately 103,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast regions were impacted, with another 15,000 on Vancouver Island. The utility noted this as the third major weather-related disruption in the past week, following heavy rains that caused widespread flooding. Crews and contractors mobilized immediately, working around the clock to restore service despite challenging conditions. "We appreciate the patience as crews get power back as quickly and safely as possible," said Kevin Aquino, a BC Hydro spokesperson.

The hardest-hit communities included Surrey, where over 18,000 customers lost power, followed by Port Coquitlam with 12,500, Burnaby with 11,700, Vancouver with 11,200, and Maple Ridge with 11,200. Outages also extended to Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope, North Vancouver, and...