BC Hydro restores power to 70% of highway 8 corridor

BC Hydro has restored service to roughly 70 per cent of customers along the Highway 8 corridor that was damaged by a storm and severe flooding on November 14 and 15. The intense weather system destroyed 87 power poles and 14 transformers along Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge.

Since December 3, BC Hydro has restored power to 83 customers along the Highway 8 corridor, including ten customers in the Nooaitch area along Shackelly Road, 30 customers north of Spius Creek to Dot Ranch and 43 customers in the Shackan area.

All of the remaining restorations in this area will require extensive reconstruction of Highway 8 and large scale rebuilds of distribution lines in new locations. BC Hydro estimates this process could take several weeks to complete.

Eighty-six customers in the City of Merritt are back online. To make sure homes are safe, all remaining customers in the city need to have a qualified electrical contractor inspect their electrical equipment and appliances before BC Hydro can reconnect their home.

Repair work continues between Merritt and Brookmere. BC Hydro restored service to 52 customers in Brookmere on Sunday. There is extensive work required to complete restoration along Highway 5 as the road repairs are taking considerable time and need to be completed first.

There are now 148 customers without power in Merritt and the surrounding areas, down from 289 on December 6