BC Hydro restores power to 99 percent of customers after weekend storms
BC Hydro says 6,000 customers in the Central Interior are still without power after weekend storms cut service to nearly 415,000 people. Full restoration in hardest-hit areas may take until Tuesday evening.
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BC Hydro says it has restored power to 99 percent of the nearly 415,000 customers who lost service during windstorms that hit British Columbia from Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, 2026, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported on November 9. 6,000 customers remain without power, most of them in the Central Interior region.
The storms moved across British Columbia over three days starting November 6. At peak, they cut service to customers in Surrey, Duncan, Port Hardy, Courtenay and a wide area of the Central Interior. Most of those areas are now restored.
The hardest-hit areas are east and north of Prince George, where BC Hydro crews are still rebuilding sections of the electrical system. BC Hydro says restoration in those areas could take until late Tuesday evening, November 10.
Why some repairs are taking longer
BC Hydro says the storms knocked down 200 spans of wire, broke poles and damaged electrical equipment across the province. Many of the remaining outages require more than straightforward repairs: crews are replacing poles, installing crossarms and restringing multiple wire spans. Access is difficult in some locations because fallen trees and soft ground are limiting heavy equipment.
The Prince George Citizen reported on November 9 that BC Hydro warned its restoration work in the Central Interior was the most difficult of anywhere across the province.
What crews are doing now
BC Hydro says it has kept additional crews, contractors and specialized equipment in the field. As repairs finish in one area, those resources move to the zones still without power. The utility is also clearing fallen trees and debris to reach damaged infrastructure before repairs can begin.
Residents in the Central Interior east and north of Prince George can check restoration estimates for their specific address at bchydro.com. BC Hydro updates its outage map as crews complete work.
Questions this story answers
How many BC customers are still without power after the weekend storms?
6,000 customers remain without power as of Monday, November 9, 2026, according to BC Hydro. The majority of those customers are in the Central Interior, with the hardest-hit areas east and north of Prince George. At peak, the storms cut power to nearly 415,000 customers across British Columbia between November 6 and November 8.
When will power be fully restored in the Central Interior?
BC Hydro says the earliest restoration in the hardest-hit rural areas east and north of Prince George is expected by late Tuesday evening, November 10, 2026. Some locations face delays because of access difficulties: fallen trees and soft ground are making it harder to reach and repair infrastructure with heavy equipment.
What caused the power outages across BC this weekend?
Windstorms that moved across British Columbia from Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 8 knocked down 200 spans of wire, broke poles and damaged electrical equipment across the province. BC Hydro says many of the outages require building new sections of the electrical system, including replacing poles, installing crossarms and restringing multiple wire spans.
Which areas of BC were hardest hit by the storms?
The Nanaimo News Bulletin reported that hardest-hit areas include east and north of Prince George in the Central Interior. The storms also caused outages in Surrey, Duncan, Port Hardy and Courtenay. BC Hydro said work in the Central Interior is the most difficult because of access challenges and the scale of the damage.
What is BC Hydro doing to restore the remaining outages?
BC Hydro says additional crews, contractors and specialized equipment remain deployed across the province. As repairs finish in some areas, resources are being moved to the remaining outage zones. Crews are removing fallen trees and debris to reach damaged infrastructure, then replacing poles, installing crossarms and restringing wire.
How did 99 percent restoration happen so quickly?
BC Hydro crews worked across the province from the start of the storms on Friday, November 6. The utility deployed additional crews and contractors and moved resources between regions as work was completed. Outages in urban and suburban areas were resolved faster. The remaining 6,000 customers are in rural areas where access is harder and the damage is more extensive.
Where can BC residents check on their power outage status?
BC Hydro publishes an outage map at bchydro.com showing current outages and estimated restoration times. Residents in the Central Interior east and north of Prince George should check the map directly for updates on their specific area, as restoration times vary by location.
Is this the same storm that caused BC Ferries cancellations?
Yes. The same windstorm system that cut power to nearly 415,000 BC Hydro customers over the weekend also caused BC Ferries to cancel sailings on Saturday, November 7, 2026 as winds picked up along the coast.
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