The first of what is expected to be many power outages has been reported in the eastern Fraser Valley by BC Hydro Friday afternoon.
They say that 1,077 customers in Abbotsford and Mission are being affected by an outage, as of 3:09 p.m.
At the same time, there are nearly 6,500 customers without power in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. Nearly 5,000 customers have no power on northern Vancouver Island.
Abbotsford’s outage is described by BC Hydro as being west of Bell Road, east of Mt. Lehman Road and north of Elkford Drive, but the central intersection for that area is Downes Road and Gladwin Road.
Metereologists have been warning residents to prepare for power outages in southern B.C., as ice rain, heavy snow and other weather issues would likely lead to trees breaking and ice build up on equipment.
BC Hydro has tips for what to do if you lose power. If you find yourself without power, the corporation says, get the latest updates from their crews by checking online outages list or following them on Twitter @BCHydro.
They say if your power goes out, first check to see if the outage is limited to your home by inspecting your circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If there are no tripped breakers and it appears to be part of a larger issue, check their list of current outages or outage map to see if they’re aware of the outage.
If you don’t see your outage listed, log in to report the outage online through your MyHydro account or call 1-800-BCHYDRO (1-800-224-9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile. If you live in an apartment or condo and are experiencing an outage that’s limited to your unit, report it to your building manager or owner.Help us get your power back
If your power goes out, they ask that you turn off electric heaters, major appliances, and unplug sensitive electronics. This helps reduce the load on the hydro system and protects your equipment from damage. They also recommend turning off all lights, except one inside and one outside so you and their crews know when power is back.
For more on what to do during a power outage, including limits on time food will stay safe in your fridge or freezer, visit BC Hydro online.
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