Thousands of BC Hydro customers across Greater Victoria woke up without electricity Thursday morning after a strong windstorm swept through southern Vancouver Island overnight.
Just before midnight Wednesday, more than 24,000 BC Hydro customers in the region were without power as strong winds knocked down trees and damaged power lines.
By 7 a.m. Thursday, that number had dropped to just over 6,000 customers still in the dark in Greater Victoria as crews worked through the night to restore service.
In an update posted late Wednesday evening, BC Hydro said a windstorm impacting southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands had caused widespread outages.
“A windstorm is currently affecting Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, leading to widespread power outages,” BC Hydro said in its notice.
“Crews will be working through the night and into tomorrow morning to complete repairs and restore service. We’ll continue to provide updates on individual outages as they become available.”
The utility company also issued a reminer that the public should stay well clear of any downed power lines.
“Remember, if you encounter a downed or low hanging power line, stay at least 10 metres back and report it to 911 immediately,” BC Hydro said.
While the southern part of the island saw significant impacts, northern Vancouver Island was largely spared the worst of the storm.
The strong winds also disrupted travel, with BC Ferries cancelling sailings between Victoria and Vancouver on Wednesday due to high winds in the Strait of Georgia.
Environment Canada had warned that the most intense winds would hit Wednesday, though gusty conditions were expected to continue into Thursday morning.
The weather agency has since lifted wind warnings for the region.
BC Hydro crews continue working to restore power throughout the region.
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