Heavy winds have knocked out power in several areas of the Tri-Cities.
As of Friday at 2 p.m., BC Hydro was reporting outages in the Ranch Park neighbourhood and the area south of Mundy Park. A smaller outage occurred up on MacIntosh Street in northwest Coquitlam.
BC Hydro did not have an estimate as to when power would be restored but said online that crews were working to assess and repair the damage as soon as possible.
However, the power problems could be just getting started for the Metro Vancouver area.
Environment Canada issued a wind warning around 1 p.m. on Friday, saying gusts of up to 80 km/h were expected across the region. The strong winds were expected to ease this evening ahead of another powerful storm, which meterologist believe could arrive by Saturday night.
Bad weather is also impacting transit service along some bus routes.
TransLink said in a statement that more people tend to rely on public transit when major storms occur and people should prepare for longer travel times, given the impact potential power outages can have on traffic signals.
"TransLink's top priority is to ensure the safety of our customers and employees,a nd are monitoring weather conditions closely and making adjustments as necessary," the transit authority said. "Our emergency management group is participating in Emergency Management BC and Environment Canada conference calls to stay apprised of the forecast and expected outcomes as well as communicating within the organization to ensure we respond effectively."
To report an outage call 1-888-769-3766 or go to www.bchydro.com. To report severe weather, send an email to [email protected] or tweet reports to #BCStorm.
