Update: 2:22
BC Hydro has estimated power will return around 4:15 p.m.
Original: 1: 57 p.m.
BC Hydro has sent crews to a downed tree that's caused power to go out for 2,600 of their customers, leaving thousands of Vancouverites in the dark.
The outage was reported to BC Hydro at 1:12 p.m. Thursday (April 20), with 2,689 customers in East Vancouver without power; the outage affects an area south of East 15th Avenue, north of East 33rd Avenue, west of Knight Street and east of Fraser Street.
As of 1:30 p.m. crews had been assigned, and the cause was listed as a tree down across wires.
While wind has not been named as the cause for the downed tree, gusts are causing issues for the southern coast. Warnings from Environment Canada have been issued for much of the south coast and Vancouver Island, cautioning people as gusts up to 110 km/h are expected in some areas near the water.
Metro Vancouver is the only region south of Haida Gwaii on the coast that does not have a wind alert. The forecast for Vancouver does state winds could gust up to 70 km/h near the water today.
Due to the wind BC Ferries has had to cancel some sailings.
A crew has been assigned to an outage affecting 2,689 customers in #Vancouver. Updates will be posted here as available: https://t.co/esKfdlYmH2 pic.twitter.com/mZFASaKIIW
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) April 20, 2023
