Just over 4,400 homes in the South Cariboo were left without power the morning of May 24 following a windstorm during the evening of May 23 that knocked down trees and wires all over the province.
BC Hydro worked to restore power throughout the night.
Winds reaching up to 90 km/h were expected overnight in some parts of the province.
In the South Cariboo, trees were knocked down and onto roads and power lines. Near Sheridan Lake, the wind tore the roof off a shed. Others were up early in the morning clearing trees off of the driveways to make it into work or clear a path for motorists.
The Lake of the Trees Bible Camp put out a plea on their Facebook page asking for help to clean up the area in time for a retreat starting May 26 after 10 trees were torn down between the beach and cabins.
Significant portions near Lone Butte and through the Interlakes were left without power on May 23 and May 24. As of press time, some areas had not yet been assigned crews, while other areas were expected to have power back by 7 p.m.
When Councillor Dave Mingo returned home from council meeting last night, the power was out in his house east of Lone Butte.
While he still has phone and cell service, he says it was slightly annoying to be without water this morning.
“I won’t say I’m used to it, but I’m adaptable,” he says.
Mingo is keeping the fridge and freezer closed to make sure frozen goods stay cold, but otherwise he’s unperturbed.
Despite the area remaining unassigned at noon, according to BC Hydro’s website, Mingo remains positive.
“They’re doing what they can. There are so many outages all over the place. It’s just something we have to be prepared for. If the power is going to be out a little longer, we’ll get the generator on to get the fridge and freezer powered back up to make sure our food is safe,” he says.
“It’s just one of those things that you’ve got to do when you’re dealing with mother nature. You’ve “got to roll with the punches.”
According to a press release put out by BC Hydro, crews restored power to 184,000 customers overnight.
BC Hydro is also warning people to stay away from downed power lines and call 911 immediately if they encounter one.
Environment Canada also released a weather statement that is predicting freezing temperatures and flurries between 100 Mile House and Clinton following the wind storm on May 23.