Latest B.C. storm leaves thousands more without power

About 25,000 homes and businesses on B.C.'s South Coast lost powerin the wake of another windstorm that blew through the area overnight and early Thursday morning.

Gusts ofup to 90 km/h did the most damage on Vancouver Island, where about 20,000 B.C. Hydro customers lost their power.

Another 5,000 homes were cut off on the Sunshine Coast on the Mainland.

Greater Vancouver, which had winds of 50 to 80km/h, escaped with minor damage.

Could have been worse, but more storms coming

Environment Canada meteorologist John McIntyre says much of the South Coast, including Greater Vancouver, was spared the worst of the storm.

"That low pressure area that was approaching the coast overnight moved northward. It's actually moved well up near the Queen Charlotte Islands now. The strongest winds are up there, and over north Vancouver Island.

"The South Coast was spared a lot of the wind. It was pretty windy along the water, over the water, but on land not so much with this particular low."

B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Morenosaid the utility's repair crews had been braced for a much bigger blow andmore widespreaddamage.

"Fortunately, in a lot of cases, we didn't see those winds materialize. We do have concerns, obviously, about the North Island area, because they were hit significantly in the last series of storms."

Moreno said she expects power will be restored for most customers later on Thursday.

Meanwhile, there's more to come. McIntyre said while the immediate forecast in southwestern B.C. is for sunshine, a series of storms are lined up in the Pacific.