Thousands of people on Vancouver Island were left powerless on Christmas Day as the second windstorm in a week marched along the coast. A potent mix of howling winds and heavy rainfalls had many regions under warnings with the storm appearing to be much longer and more broad than Monday’s weather system that moved through in the night.
The southern Gulf Islands and greater Victoria were also put under a wind warning with gusts expected to continue until Boxing Day up to 100 km/h. Environment Canada further said that there was an expected elevated water level in the Juan de Fuca Strait for high tide in the morning of Boxing Day.
By noon, B.C. Hydro reported power outages affecting over 3,000 customers across the island. Salt Spring and Pender Islands were particularly hard hit, where a fallen tree disrupted power to a large portion of the population. Other areas, including Campbell River, Courtenay, and Sayward, experienced outages as crews worked to identify the causes.
As early evening neared, there were still around 1,400 customers in the North Island who were still cut off, and B.C. Hydro advised that some might stay out all night due to cancelled ferries. Power interruptions are also anticipated tonight on Quadra Island, Denman Island, and Cortes Island.
BC Ferries had to cancel a few Christmas Day sailings, including significant routes connecting Vancouver Island with the Lower Mainland, and the service is expecting more cancellations on Boxing Day.
West Bamfield residents were going to spend the night without power because of a service pole that needs to be repaired by specialized gear; meanwhile, some areas of Quatsino have been in a similar plight, with no power available today until possibly Friday.
In the meantime, Mount Washington Alpine Resort warned of treacherous conditions on the Strathcona Parkway, where heavy snowfall had caused significant traffic delays. The resort urged drivers to equip their vehicles with winter tires or chains and exercise caution in the snow.
The backcountry skiing community was also asked to exercise extreme care since the Avalanche Canada cautioned unstable conditions brought about by the intense snowfall.
On the roads, snow-removal activities were hindered by vehicles which did not come equipped with adequate winter gear. Tree-falling crews were available to respond to the damage resulting from the storm. In a bid to calm nerves, authorities asked travelers to recall that with adequate equipment and perseverance, the inclement weather can be safely negotiated.
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