In 2024, while record-breaking weather-related power outages were experienced across British Columbia, communities on Vancouver Island bore a significant share of the impact.
Despite the unprecedented challenges, BC Hydro’s enhanced restoration strategies have ensured faster response times, particularly benefiting Vancouver Island residents.
Recent data shows that over the past five years, severe storms have increasingly affected communities across the province.
A survey conducted on behalf of BC Hydro revealed that nearly three-quarters of British Columbians experienced at least one weather-related power outage last year.
Overall, more than 1.4 million BC Hydro customers were affected in 2024—the highest number in the utility’s history.
Vancouver Island, along with parts of the south coast, was especially hard hit by three powerful storms in November and December.
These storms, ranked among the top five largest in the past decade, were responsible for a substantial proportion of outages as falling trees and vegetation, weakened by prolonged drought, collided with BC Hydro infrastructure.
“BC Hydro has been preparing extensively for the effects of climate change on our system,” said Susie Rieder, BC Hydro spokesperson.
“We have tripled our budget for vegetation management on transmission and distribution lines to battle the effects of drought. Despite the increased frequency of storms and outages, our response times are improving. We’ve maintained our track record of restoring power to 90 per cent of customers within 24 hours – with about three-quarters of customers receiving power in less than 12 hours. This rapid response is particularly critical for communities on Vancouver Island.”
On Vancouver Island, local field crews were at the forefront during these severe weather events. Drawing on enhanced meteorological models, smart meter data, and pre-deployment strategies, BC Hydro’s teams responded quickly to restore power.
For instance, during a major windstorm in December 2024, approximately 315,000 customers had their service restored within the first 24 hours – equating to about 99 per cent of the more than 320,000 customers impacted across the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands.
BC Hydro has taken several steps to further improve restoration times and keep customers informed during outages. Field teams are now pre-deploying crews and rapidly dispatching resources based on lessons learned from previous events—a strategy that has proven particularly effective on Vancouver Island, the utility company said.
The utility is tripling its vegetation management budget to $150 million annually, up from $50 million a decade ago, to reduce storm-related damage to infrastructure.
BC Hydro is using smart meter data for real-time outage tracking, advanced weather models for storm prep, and upgraded communication channels to keep customers, especially on Vancouver Island, informed.
With heavy snow falling across the island, BC Hydro urges residents to prepare for outages with a 72-hour emergency kit, including essentials like food, water, flashlights, and a power bank.
BC Hydro reminds residents to treat any downed power line as an emergency—stay 10 metres away and call 9-1-1.
