Motorists were being turned back at the entrance to Golden Ears Park on Saturday morning due to fallen power lines following a heavy wind storm that caused widespread power outages and knocked out power lines and trees.
A B.C. Hydro map showed 239 customers have been without electricity since 2:50 a.m. in the area where Fern Crescent becomes Golden Ears Parkway, advising a crew has been assigned to the area.
Hydro said all “available crews worked through the night to repair and restore customers impacted by the heavy wind storm that caused widespread outages in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. Crews will continue clean up work through the day and are working as quickly as possible to get customers restored. Due to the extensive damage, this work may take some time and individual outage restoration times will be provided as soon they are available.”
As of Saturday afternoon, 17 areas in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows were still without power, with the largest outage involving 282 customers in the area west of Reedal Street, south of 116th Avenue, east of 104th Avenue, and north of River Road, who lost service shortly after midnight.
READ ALSO: Strong wind, heavy rain knock out power to tens of thousands in B.C.
Hydro said power has been restored to more than 230,000 customers after the windstorm cut service to about 330,000 customers.
The hardest hit areas included Surrey, Victoria, Nanaimo, Qualicum and Parksville.
Hydro said trees and branches already weakened by the drought this summer have been knocked down by the wind.
RELATED: Heavy rain, snow, ease drought in some B.C. areas as forecasters watch rising rivers
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