A ravenous storm that left 750,000 BC residents without power caused more damage than any other previous storm in history.
According to a report released by BC Hydro on Wednesday, the storm that took place on December 20th of last year required the largest mobilization of BC Hydro resources than ever before.
B.C. Hydro’s CEO Chris O’Riley said power was restored, after the first day to more than 550,000 customers.
However, as a result of fallen trees, debris and problems with access, a lot of people were left in the dark until December 31st.
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BC Storm
“Responding to this storm involved our biggest mobilization of crews, equipment and materials ever,” O’Riley said.
Contract crews from Alberta were even called in for help.
However, Gulf Islands may have been hit the hardest.
Due to road blocks, water taxis and barges had to be used to access damaged areas on Salt Spring Island.
What gave made this storm so uniquely wild was that on top of the 400 millimeters of rainfall, winds were coming in from different directions, reaching 100 km/h in some areas.
O’Riley also said some customers reported having problems getting help in certain places because 911 operators were overwhelmed with calls.
During this time, customers also complained about not getting updates on the power outages.
O’Riley noted that B.C. Hydro is researching ways in which situations like this can be improved.
Luckily no serious injuries or safety concerns took place despite the damage.