Tens of thousands without power, ferries cancelled after 'bomb cyclone' batters B.C. coast

Tens of thousands of people, primarily on Vancouver Island, were without power overnight after hurricane-force wind gusts from a "bomb cyclone" system blasted southwest British Columbia on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Gusts up to 170 km/h were recorded at the Sartine Island weather station just off the coast of northern Vancouver Island, according to Environment Canada, as the storm brought down trees and power lines across the South Coast.

As of 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday, around 80,000 B.C. Hydro customers on Vancouver Island were still without power. That number was as high as 150,000 on Tuesday.

Most ferry routes, including major routes between Vancouver and the Island, have cancelled their first round trips on Wednesday, said Jeff Groot with B.C. Ferries.

WATCH | Storm blasts southwest B.C.:

"They make these decisions based off a couple things: wind speed, wave height, and really, at the end of the day, is it safe," said Groot.

He said the company is speaking with Environment Canada around 9 a.m. PT for an update to determine if further cancellations are required.

B.C. Ferries is advising travellers to check its service notices page prior to travel.

Langara College in Vancouver said early Wednesday morning it had closed all classes and services due to fallen trees and disrupted power lines. Classes resumed at noon.

A 24-kilometre stretch of Highway 4 east of Port Alberni strewn with debris and fallen trees remained closed Wednesday morning. (Josie Osborne)

High winds could last up to 20 hours

The "bomb cyclone" system sent outflow winds roaring through B.C.'s coastal valleys, triggering wind warnings across the coast and special weather statements far inland on Tuesday.

A cyclone is the term used when masses of warm and cool air collide to create spiralling winds, while forecasters say the "bomb" portion of the name refers to a rapid pressure drop of over 24 millibars (the unit used to measure air pressure) in 24 hours. In this case, the bomb cyclone formed around 400 kilometres west of Tofino, B.C.

Satellite footage of the 'bomb cyclone' forming over the Pacific Ocean:

"It's a very widespread wind event, which is part of the problem, but also very long lasting," said CBC science communicator Darius Mahdavi on Tuesday evening.

"Where usually a wind event like this might last six to 10 hours, this one's going to last anywhere from 12 to 20 hours across parts of the coast."

Meteorologists predicted the storm would be accompanied by rain and snow, with Mahdavi saying higher elevations in some areas could get nearly a metre of snow by Wednesday night.

WATCH | How a 'bomb cyclone' is defined: 

Downed lines, highway closures on Island

"The Island was hit extremely hard," Ted Olynyk with B.C. Hydro told CBC's On The Island on Wednesday morning.

He said the utility, anticipating ferry cancellations, brought crews over from Vancouver on Tuesday night to help, and will bring more over when they can.

Videos posted online show a number of trees falling onto power lines. Olynyk is warning people who come across downed lines to stay far away.

"Always stay 10 metres back, the length of a city bus," he said.

Firefighters from the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department in Qualicum, B.C., tend to a fallen tree Tuesday evening. (Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook)

Downed trees due to strong winds closed several highway across the province Tuesday evening. As of 10 a.m. PT Wednesday, a 24-kilometre stretch of Highway 4 east of Port Alberni remains closed.

Carol Anne Zanette, owner of the Steam Punk Cafe in Port Alberni, said not having power overnight was nerve-racking.

But she said community members ensured essential services, like food delivery and shelters, remained up and running.

"We're just a great community here so everybody stepped up," Zanette told CBC's On The Island on Wednesday morning.

She says like other local businesses, her cafe is open.

"It's a busy day in here today. I think that people who are tired are getting their coffee and their lunch to go. Businesses are up and running."

Portions of highways 19, 28 and 30 on the Island also remain closed, according to DriveBC.

Drivers can check DriveBC for the latest road conditions along their planned route.

"If you don't have to travel, don't travel. If you don't know the area, be very careful," said Tofino Mayor Dan Law on Tuesday afternoon. "Make sure there's stuff in your car if you get stuck on a highway between trees ... bring water and some food."

This photo taken in Sooke shows a fallen tree leaning on power lines. (Matthew Wicken)

Law said the impact of the storm was likely greater than a regular fall storm, as the strong outflow winds came from the east.

"The problem with that is that the trees are not necessarily used to that particular direction. And so they're weaker ... they strengthen themselves against the prevailing winds," he said.

The Ahousaht First Nation, located close to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, says the storm damaged structures and boats overnight, and members of the nation are waiting until daylight to check the full extent.

"This one is a lot stronger than what we had in the past," Alfred Dick, one of the nation's emergency co-ordinators, said Wednesday on CBC's On The Island.

Fallen trees and debris blocked Highway 4 on Vancouver Island on Tuesday night. (Submitted by Jack Mitchell)

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said vast portions of the city are without power.

"It was definitely a howler," he said.

Krog said driving to work Wednesday morning was challenging, with branches all over the road, some fallen trees and many stop lights at intersections not working.

"People are going to have to do a lot of cleanup in their yards," he added.

WATCH | How communities prepared for the storm: 

South of the border in Washington state, a women died Tuesday when a tree fell on a homeless encampment in Lynnwood, north of Seattle, according to Reuters.

Another woman is also reported to have died near Seattle when a tree fell on her home.

In Maple Valley, southeast of Seattle, two people were injured when a tree fell on their trailer.

Environment Canada says the strong winds are expected to gradually weaken on Wednesday.

Tuesday's storm is the second major windstorm to hit B.C.'s South Coast in a week, with one that hit on Nov. 12 also causing tens of thousands of properties to lose power.

This map released by Avalanche Canada shows the extent of the bomb cyclone system that is bringing high winds to B.C.'s coast overnight Tuesday. (Avalanche Canada/Meteorological Service of Canada)