BC storms knock out power across the province, with a third system arriving Monday

A series of storms hit British Columbia in the first week of November 2026, cutting power to tens of thousands of residents and cancelling BC Ferries sailings from Vancouver Island to the mainland. A third storm system is set to arrive Monday, November 9.

Friday's first storm set the stage. By Saturday morning, BC Hydro had crews working across Vancouver Island and the BC Interior. The second storm arrived Friday night and continued into Saturday, adding to the damage before crews could finish repairs from the first event.

How many customers lost power

Global News BC reported that 40,000 BC Hydro customers were without power as of 8 a.m. Saturday, November 7. That number was down from the peak during Friday's storm, according to Global News BC.

The hardest-hit areas were Prince George, Port Hardy, Courtenay and Qualicum Beach, Global News BC reported. In the Comox Valley, CHEK News reported 3,463 customers without power in the Comox and Courtenay area as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Over 3,800 customers were without power in the Qualicum area by Saturday afternoon, CHEK News reported.

Ted Olynyk, a BC Hydro spokesperson, told CHEK News: "There's a lot of work that needs to be done in Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River, and Qualicum Area. Extreme winds caused lines and downed branches." He said the event had been severe: "It was a nasty event Friday, with reports of extreme winds that basically dropped on the Courtenay-Comox area."

Olynyk also told CHEK News: "We want to get everything done and make sure crews are rested and ready to go again."

BC Hydro crews were brought in from other regions to help with restoration work, according to reporting this weekend.

What the wind did

Global News BC reported wind gusts of up to 90 km/h, with southeasterly winds driving the storms. CHEK News reported that the Comox Valley received a period of extreme wind that downed trees on Piercy Road and left power lines hanging. Witnesses described trees falling across streets and power lines tangled in the debris.

Rob Withers, who saw the downed vehicle in Comox, told CHEK News: "Trees were down everywhere, power lines were all hung up. I mean the weather was nuts."

CHEK News also reported that five members of the Comox Valley Glacier Kings junior hockey team were in a vehicle that was struck by a downed tree. All five were unharmed.

Flooding and landslide risk

Global News BC reported that streamflows reached two-to-five-year return levels on Friday, with high streamflow advisories in place for northern and western Vancouver Island and the South and Central Coast. A coastal flooding statement covered the west coast, with minor flooding on low-lying shorelines.

The Village of Zeballos, on northern Vancouver Island, issued an evacuation order Saturday due to landslide risk, according to Global News BC. Residents there were told to leave. Zeballos is a small community of about 100 people on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island.

BC Ferries cancellations

BC Ferries cancelled two sailings on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route Saturday evening: the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. departures. Global News BC reported that the last sailing on that route Saturday was at 5 p.m. The 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday morning sailings were also at risk of cancellation depending on conditions, according to Global News BC.

Passengers who travel on BC Ferries routes across the South Coast should check the BC Ferries service notices page before travelling this weekend and Monday, as more cancellations are possible.

BC Hydro's message to customers

Whitney Deane, a BC Hydro spokesperson, told Global News BC: "Friday's storm caused significant damage, and we're preparing for more challenging weather in the days ahead. Our crews and resources will be working around-the-clock to restore power and respond to new outages as quickly and safely as possible, and we're encouraging customers to be prepared."

BC Hydro asked customers to report outages through its app or at bchydro.com and to stay away from downed power lines. Any downed line should be treated as live and left for crews to handle, the utility said.

A third storm Monday

Global News BC reported that a third storm system is expected to arrive on Monday, November 9, 2026. Rain is forecast to continue through the following week. BC Hydro said it is positioning crews and resources to respond to new outages from that system.

With a first storm damaging lines, a second adding to the damage before repairs were complete, and a third now arriving, some customers in the hardest-hit areas face an extended wait for power.

What you can do now

Check your area's outages at bchydro.com/power-outages/app/outage-map.html before going out. Check BC Ferries at bcferries.com/current-conditions/service-notices before travelling. For areas under evacuation orders, follow instructions from local authorities and from Emergency Management BC.

If your power is out, BC Hydro asks that you report it and then be patient: crews are working around the clock, but high winds prevent some repairs until conditions ease.