Power restorations continue after powerful bomb cyclone batters B.C.
An intense bomb cyclone tore its way across B.C., bringing heavy rains, snow, and fierce winds to the region, knocking down tree limbs and causing thousands to be without power
An exceptional, intense storm impacted the B.C. South Coast late in the day on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain, strong, gusting winds and alpine snow to the region. As a result, thousands were left without power, and the storm downed damaged trees and disrupted travel, too.
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At one point, more than 272,000 people were without power due to the storm, with a majority of the losses reported on Vancouver Island. Restoration efforts continued on Wednesday, with under 70,000 customers still in the dark as of the evening hours, according to BC Hydro.
Downed tree limbs and power lines also forced the closure of multiple highways including Highway 4 on Vancouver Island late Tuesday night. Wind gusts of up to 170 km/h were reported off of Vancouver Island.
On Wednesday afternoon, DriveBC noted on X that Highway 4 has opened a single lane, alternating traffic between Coombs and Port Alberni. Crews are assessing trees to prevent further issues, but motorists can expect delays still.
A downed power line on Highway 14 cut off school bus routes, forcing a group of children to shelter at a school for hours.
High winds also forced multiple ferry cancellations and delays to and from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island on Wednesday due to the high winds.
Heavy snow also fell in higher elevations in the province, dropping close to 100 cm in the Mount Washington region.
See the images below for the bomb cyclone's impact on B.C.:
Thumbnail image courtesy of BC Hydro/X.
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