Final BC Hydro customers affected by windstorm should have power Jan. 1
About 650 customers on the Gulf Islands remained without power Saturday
BC Hydro says all customers who lost power in a powerful windstorm in southwestern British Columbia earlier in December should have it restored by New Year's Day, as the north and eastern parts of the province brace for more winter storms.
Crews have restored power to more than 700,000 customers since the windstorm hit on Dec. 20 and about 650 customers on the Gulf Islands remained without power Saturday.
BC Hydro says many of the southern Gulf Islands were the hardest hit and the storm damaged hundreds of power lines, poles, cross-arms and transformers, and left roads completely covered by trees and vegetation.
For customers on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaltspringIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaltspringIsland</a> who are still out: our team is now at the community emergency centre at the library. We want to ensure no one’s outage is missed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a> restoration. Please come speak to them to confirm your outage if you’re unable to call or report online.
—@bchydroCrews from Vancouver Island have been sent to the Gulf Islands to assist with restoration efforts and more than 80 crews were set to work there Saturday.
BC Hydro says it hopes to restore power to Bruce Peak, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna islands on Saturday, Salt Spring Island on Sunday and Park Island on Monday.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GulfIslands?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GulfIslands</a>: Information available via our website for the latest on road restoration efforts, due to last week's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/mFQOG4u5cz">https://t.co/mFQOG4u5cz</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GalianoIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GalianoIsland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaltSpringIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaltSpringIsland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThetisIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThetisIsland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GabriolaIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GabriolaIsland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayneIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MayneIsland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaturnaIsland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaturnaIsland</a>
—@DriveBC_VI8 days after a massive storm brought down thousands of trees on Salt Spring Island, power finally back on; spent Xmas Eve listening to ghost story The Shepherd, on the CBC, by fire/candle light. Today: cleaning out the freezer. <a href="https://t.co/KscFhw97vf">pic.twitter.com/KscFhw97vf</a>
—@NicholasCoghlanSnowfall warnings
Environment Canada issued winter storm and snowfall warnings Saturday for eastern British Columbia from Fort Nelson in the north to the east Columbia and Shuswap regions in the south, with up to 30 centimetres of snow expected for some areas before the weather system moves into Alberta.