VANCOUVER, B.C. – A “vigorous cold front” bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall has left approximately 120,000 BC Hydro customers without power across the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast as of Wednesday morning, December 17, 2025.
This marks the third major weather-related outage event this week, placing immense strain on restoration crews already working in challenging conditions.
Hardest-Hit Areas and School Closures
The storm generated peak wind gusts of up to 100 km/h in parts of the Fraser Valley and 80 km/h across Metro Vancouver. The massive surge in outages was largely caused by treefall onto power lines, poles, and other electrical infrastructure, a problem exacerbated by several years of historic drought that has weakened local vegetation.
Hardest-hit municipalities by customer outages include:
- Surrey: 18,400 customers
- Port Coquitlam: 12,500 customers
- Burnaby: 11,700 customers
- Vancouver: 11,200 customers
- Maple Ridge: 11,200 customers
- North Vancouver: 10,000 customers
The widespread loss of power forced the closure of multiple schools on Wednesday. In Surrey, LA Matheson Secondary, Kirkbride Elementary, and Royal Heights Elementary were closed. In Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, all schools were closed as the majority of buildings were without heat or internal lighting.
Restoration Progress and Ongoing Warnings
As of 11:30 a.m., BC Hydro reported that crews had successfully restored service to approximately 70,000 customers, or about 60% of those affected. Restoration work is expected to continue through the day and into the night.
However, crews are facing significant logistical challenges, including access issues due to heavy debris on roads.
Current Weather Alerts
Environment Canada maintains multiple alerts across the region:
- Wind Warnings: In effect for the central and eastern Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack and Hope, where gusts up to 100 km/h are expected.
- Rainfall Warnings: In effect for Hope, with 60 to 80 mm of rain forecast.
- Special Weather Statements: Continue for Metro Vancouver (including Surrey, Delta, White Rock, and Langley), advising of gusts up to 80 km/h.
Safety Reminders
BC Hydro is reminding the public that a downed, damaged, or low-hanging power line is an emergency. Residents are urged to stay at least 10 metres back (about the length of a bus) and call 911 immediately.
The storm follows a tragic incident earlier this week in which a 28-year-old mother was killed by a falling tree in Chilliwack during Monday’s windstorm. Drivers are also reminded to treat dark intersections as four-way stops and remain alert for treefall and debris on roadways.
