Wednesday November 27, 2019 ~ SOOKE [Updated 8:10 am, and 1 pm]
~ West Shore Voice News
Today Wednesday November 27, over 860 BC Hydro customers in areas west of Sooke through the Shirley area, Jordan River and out to Port Renfrew are without power. [Number of customers without power down to 414 as of 8:18 am].
The outages due to the impact of high winds on transmission lines started around 1 am, with more customers affected around 4 am, and more again around 6:45 am. Some restoration already done by 8 am.
As of 7:25 am, restoration crews were either on site, enroute or assigned. Restoration times not yet posted by BC Hydro.
High winds overnight along the west coast and south Vancouver Island have contributed to transmission lines being damaged or down.
The affected area is rural, served for access by Highway 14.
The Juan de Fuca Emergency Preparedness Program reminds people to be prepared for 7 days self-sufficiency in the case of major emergencies.
“Just a reminder for people to be prepared for storm season,” says Juan de Fuca Emergency Program Coordinator Jeri Grant. “People should make sure they have fuel for generators if they have them. When wind warnings are issued, it’s good to secure loose items on decks and to have electronics (phones) charged.”
==== 1 pm update: 79 customers without power in East Sooke as of 12:08 pm and 160 customers without power in Whiffin Spit as of 12:33 pm