Thousands of Vancouver Island residents found themselves without power on Christmas Day as the second windstorm of the week swept across the coast. A combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall left many areas under warnings, with forecasts indicating the storm would be longer and more widespread than Monday night’s weather system.
Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands were placed under a wind warning, with gusts of up to 100 km/h expected to continue into Boxing Day. Elevated water levels in the Juan de Fuca Strait were also anticipated during high tide on Boxing Day morning, according to Environment Canada.
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.
By early evening, about 1,400 customers on the North Island were still without power, and B.C. Hydro warned that some outages might persist overnight due to ferry cancellations. Quadra Island, Denman Island, and Cortes Island were also expected to experience power disruptions through the night.
B.C. Ferries had to cancel several Christmas Day sailings, including major routes connecting Vancouver Island with the Lower Mainland, with more cancellations anticipated on Boxing Day.
Residents in West Bamfield were set to remain in the dark overnight due to a damaged power pole requiring specialized repair equipment, while some areas in Quatsino could face power outages until Friday due to similar challenges.
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 advised to exercise extreme caution due to a high avalanche risk, with Avalanche Canada warning of unstable conditions caused by the intense snowfall.
On the roads, snow removal operations were delayed by vehicles without proper winter equipment, and tree-falling crews were on standby to respond to the damage caused by the storm. Despite the chaos, authorities reminded travelers that with the right equipment and patience, the weather could be safely navigated.
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