Following a storm that left more than 160,000 residents without power, BC Hydro continues to work on remaining outages and prepare for the next snow storm.
According to a release from BC Hydro, of the 160,000 customers in the Central and Southern Interior that lost power over New Years Eve, approximately 11,200 remain in the dark. Residents still affected are largely in rural and hard-to-access areas near Salmon Arm, Vernon, Nakusp and Kamloops.
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Of the outages that remain, 65 outages in the Salmon Arm area have not been solved since Dec. 31 and 63 more outages have been identified since January 1 and 2. In total, there are 9,227 residents within BC Hydro’s Salmon Arm coverage area that are waiting for their power to be switched on.
We're also preparing for possible damage from a windstorm that is forecast to hit #VancouverIsland and the south coast today and tomorrow. We're encouraging customers in these areas to prepare for potential power outages: https://t.co/Kyflz96l0E #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/LT7hFGAwk0
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) January 2, 2020
“Crews will continue to work throughout the day on remaining repairs to restore power in the largely rural and hard to access areas near Salmon Arm and Kamloops,” the hydro company wrote in an additional release.
In addition to restoring power, preparing for another storm expected to make landfall this evening is among the company’s priorities.
“BC Hydro is preparing for possible damage from a windstorm that is forecast to hit the South Coast and Vancouver Island today and tomorrow, and is encouraging customers in these areas to prepare for potential power outages,” BC Hydro wrote.
BC Hydro’s recommendations for preparing for an outage before it happens:
- Develop a preparedness plan and share it with your family. Be sure everyone knows what to expect and what to do. Have a contingency plan in case power is out for a longer period.
- Make a list of local emergency contact numbers (fire, police, ambulance, etc.). Include 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) for reporting an outage.
- Prepare an emergency kit and store it in an easy-to find location. Check regularly to make sure the kit is well stocked and that all equipment is in good working order.
- Use surge protectors to protect sensitive electrical equipment such as computers, DVD players and TVs.
- Include a battery operated flashlight in your emergency kit to avoid using candles - they can be a fire hazard.
- Use BC Hydro’s home outage preparation checklist to ensure you and your family are ready for an outage.
Read more: Much of B.C. hit with snow as 2020 begins
Read more: Second winter storm expected to hammer Okanagan
@CameronJHT
Cameron.thomson@saobserver.net
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