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Electricity is expected to be restored on New Year's Eve to all dark areas due to Thursday's storm, which produces winds of more than 100 km / hr. That means going without electricity for 11 days for some people.
SM Hydro said 600,000 customers lost power due to the storm, which toppled hundreds of trees, which led to falling electricity networks and blocked roads. About 90 percent of customers have recovered power in 48 hours, the company said.
The recovery schedule shows that many areas on Vancouver Island must have their power back today or Thursday, including Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Tofino and Ucluelet.
But Saturna has to wait until December 29 and the Salt Spring until December 30 to get the full strength to recover. Parker Island, in the South Gulf Islands, last on schedule, with restoration expected on 31 December.
Around 9,700 BC. Hydro customers are still without electricity on Christmas Eve.
BC Hydro spokesman Mora Scott says most of those who have no electricity are on Vancouver Island and the South Bay Islands. "We have around 90 crew working on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands today," Scott said. "The damage is very extensive, though, in the remaining areas and there are still hundreds of individual blackouts, so it will take time to restore power to everyone."
The hurricane is the worst BC Hydro has seen in 20 years and more than 800 people work around the clock to repair damage, a B.C. Hydro's statement. About 300 electricity poles and 170 transformers were destroyed in the storm.
The crew from the Atlantic Canada and Alberta have been brought in to help.
Hundreds of outages will require the crew to attend each individually to make improvements, including putting back hundreds of ranges of lines, and replacing electric poles and transformers. – with the Canadian Press
BC Hydro statement on power outages resulting from storms December 20, 2018.
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December 24, 2018: About 20,000 homes on Vancouver Island remain without electricity after a devastating Thursday thunderstorm.
"The worst area is Duncan, where we have more than 4,000 customers without electricity, the Gulf Islands, Nanaimo and Qualicum," B.C. Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said on Monday. "It took several days to restore strength to those who were the hardest hit."
At the height of the storm, more than a third of customers on Vancouver Island have no electricity. SM The Hydro blackout map painted the entire red Island.
"This is one of the storms that has happened in decades," Olynyk said. "This is a historic event. We bring crews from Alberta and the east coast. For years on the Island, I don't remember we were carrying crews from outside SM. to the Island to help with storm recovery. That's proof of how widespread the damage is. "
Salt Spring Island has extensive damage. The line went down and there were many broken poles, Olynyk said.
Forty ranges of power lines descend at Stoney Hill in North Cowichan.
"And that is total destruction in the Hilliers-Whiskey Creek area near Coombs. Basically, people treat it like rebuilding. There are lots of falling lines. There are so many broken poles, "Olynyk said.
Gabriola was hit hard. Many large trees fell and the electric feeder leading to Gabriola was also affected, said Olynyk. On Monday, some strength has been restored.
Power has been restored to Tofino and Ucluelet, but SM Hydro is still dealing with several small outages in the area.
"In 2006, we experienced a series of successive storms. It looks like it's a storm that lasted from November to January and it won't stop. But the difference in 2006 was that we had a strong program, then the next event was in another area so we could make improvements and it was easier to move the crew.
"With this, this is difficult because the storm swathes are so widespread that we cannot move the crew quickly, or bring the crew from Mainland Down as fast as we can because the damage is so extensive throughout the south coast. "
In the Cedar-Yellow Point area, a helicopter was brought to restore the power line. Then the crew must go down to the agricultural area to access the pole.
"We have to use an excavator to clean where we need to go. Luckily, we have excavators there. Our heavy heavy trucks are trapped in the mud there. So it only slows it down, "Olynyk said.
The crew works for 12 to 16 consecutive hours. Some come on vacation time to help. The silver lining in this wind-blown situation is the patience and appreciation shown by people.
"People delivered hot chocolate and food to the crew, realizing they were working late. In Salt Spring, people deliver goods in the office to give to the crew. People have shown a lot of gratitude, "Olynyk said.
SM Hydro continues to remind people to stay at least 10 meters from the bottom line and call 911. "What we saw was really extraordinary. People took the opportunity to cut firewood when the trees were still in the line," Olynyk said. "We came to an area where there was only a little sawdust left and the tree was basically cut down. They took a big risk just by doing that."
At 1:30 a.m. Monday afternoon, DriveBC reported that 80 percent of the roads on Salt Spring Island could be skipped, albeit with great danger in some places.
Half the road on the island of Saturna and Thetis is still blocked, as are 80 percent of the road in Galiano.
Conversely, 95 percent of the roads in Pender can be skipped, as are all roads in Mayne, despite some hazards.
South Island Mainroad works with SM Hydro to clean roads and restore power in the southern Gulf Islands, and send generators, water and equipment to places where they are needed.
All ferry terminals are open.
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