More winter storms, and their increasing severity, have resulted in more weather-related power outages for communities throughout B.C. in the past five years, with 2024 setting a new record.
A recent survey conducted on behalf of BC Hydro shows that nearly three-quarters of British Columbians experienced at least one weather-related power outage last year, which translates to a total of 1.4 million BC Hydro customers: the most in its history.
The record-breaking number of outages were primarily due to three powerful storms that hit the South Coast and Vancouver Island in November and December 2024. They were among the top five largest storms in the past decade, and accounted for nearly one million customers combined.
BC Hydro notes that the storms have been exacerbated by years of drought, which have left trees and vegetation across the province dry, damaged, and more susceptible to falling onto hydro infrastructure, causing outages. However, response times by crews have improved, meaning faster power restoration after major events.
This is no accident, says Susie Rieder, a BC Hydro spokesperson. She notes that BC Hydro has been preparing extensively for the effects of climate change on the company's system, including tripling the budget for vegetation management on transmission and distribution lines to battle the effects of drought.
This work includes identifying and removing trees and vegetation that could pose a problem during storm season. BC Hydro’s budget for this work in 2025 will be about $150 million, compared with $50 million a year a decade ago.
“Despite the increased frequency of storms and outages, BC Hydro’s response time is improving,” Rieder adds. “We have maintained our track record of restoring power to 90 per cent of customers within 24 hours, with about three-quarters restored within less than 12 hours.”
To further improve restoration times and provide better information to customers during power outages, BC Hydro has improved its field response, enhanced its meteorological models to better predict the impact of severe weather and provide better information to customers ahead of major weather events, and improved its communications with customers before, during, and after storm events.
Residents can prepare for a power outage by having an emergency kit on hand. Supplies should last for at least 72 hours and include a flashlight, extra batteries, a first aid kit, non-perishable foods, bottled water, and an external power bank for phones and other devices. For more information on outage preparation, visit bchydro.com/outages.
