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Storm causes power outages across Vancouver Island; Courtenay area hit hardest

A windstorm on Vancouver Island and the South Coast has caused damage to BC Hydro infrastructure, leading to power outages for customers.
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This map shows the power outages in the Comox Valley as of 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16. Work is being done to restore power to all customers.

A windstorm on Vancouver Island and the South Coast has caused damage to BC Hydro infrastructure, leading to power outages for customers.

High winds and snow caused branches and trees to fall onto power lines, and customers in the Comox Valley have been hit especially hard.

Approximately 4,000 customers in Courtenay alone lost power at some time during the storm.

At its peak Wednesday night, roughly 30,000 customers were without power. BC Hydro has already restored power to the majority of affected customers, and will continue to work throughout the day to safely restore power to remaining customers.

The other hit areas as of 6:30 a.m. include:

· Port Alberni: around 2,000 customers without power

· Ucluelet: around 2,000 customers without power

· Sechelt: around 1,700 customers without power

· Victoria: around 1,300 customers without power

BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as repair work continues and will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages



Terry Farrell

About the Author: Terry Farrell

Terry returned to Black Press in 2014, after seven years at a daily publication in Alberta. He brings 14 years of editorial experience to Comox Valley Record...
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