Tens of thousands of people in B.C. still without power after historic windstorm

Thousands still in the dark, two days after storm About 66,000 people in B.C. are without power after an intense windstorm swept through parts of the province.

BC Hydro is working around the clock to restore power to an estimated 66,000 customers after a wicked windstorm swept through parts of the province two days ago.

As of Saturday morning, the utility company said people in Abbotsford, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are still experiencing outages.

"We have extreme damage that we are working through. This includes downed power lines, as well as broken power poles that can take time to repair," said spokesperson Tanya Fish.

The utility provider said Thursday's storm is one of the most severe windstorms the region has seen in the past 20 years, adding 1,100 spans of wire, 300 power poles, 550 cross-arms and 180 transformers were destroyed.

The company said it had to call back some of its workers who had been off for the holidays to help restore power. Contractors and crews from the Southern Interior have also been brought in.

"We do understand the frustration of customers who are going into their third day without power. We do really appreciate their continued patience. And just know that we are out there trying to get their power back," she said.

The utility provider said the damage to electrical infrastructure was extensive, adding it could take several more days for some people to get service back to the hardest hit areas, which includes Duncan, Nanaimo, Lake Cowichan and the Gulf Islands.

Thursday's intense storm also claimed the life of a woman in Duncan after a tree fell on her tent. Paramedics responded to more than a dozen wind-related calls and treated more than 20 patients.

The gusty winds also caused part of White Rock's popular pier to collapse and sent trees and branches crashing onto the streets.