Power has returned to SaanichB次元官网网址檚 Ten Mile Point neighbourhood in Cadboro Bay after a second windstorm in as many days, but the next outage might be just around the corner.
Environment Canada late Sunday morning issued a wind warning for Coastal British Columbia. The alert area includes the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island from the tip to the island, Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, and Environment Canada warns of northeasterly winds of 70 km/h, reaching up to 90 km/h.
B次元官网网址淗igh winds may toss loss objects or cause tree branches to break,B次元官网网址� it reads.
This warning, of course, also raises the possibility of power outages, an event becoming increasingly familiar to the Cadboro Bay neighbourhood and its residents, especially those living in exposed areas like Ten Mile Point.
Yesterday, high winds knocked out power for five hours in various areas of Saanich, including Cadboro Bay.
This warning of course also entails the possibility of power outages, a condition with which residents like Jim Popkin are becoming increasingly familiar.
B次元官网网址淭he wind is fierce is out there,B次元官网网址� he said, while standing on Tudor Avenue with other area residents. Down the road, they could see crews from BC Hydro and a local tree company working on restoring power to the area, which had gone out about an hour earlier just after 11 a.m.
B次元官网网址淲e have branches down in yard, a lot of debris on the grass,B次元官网网址� he said, in describing the effects of the winds Sunday morning. B次元官网网址淲e sort of hesitate to walk through the woods because they are some big branches down there.B次元官网网址�
By 1 p.m. or so, power had returned to the area.
SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 power outage was even longer, running for five hours or so.
This double dose of power outage is nothing new for Popkin, who recently invested in a generator, but its efficacy has limits.
B次元官网网址淲e thought we were solving the problem by having a generator, but the generator does not always work on the electronic equipment and with new furnaces, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem to work that well. All the lights go on, and the freezer is taken care of, but we probably have to adjust the generator.B次元官网网址�
Popkin also appears to brace himself for more outages.
B次元官网网址淲e are all exposed here pretty much,B次元官网网址� he said.
That exposure to the Pacific Ocean also likely explains why Cadboro-Gyro Park with its beach was largely empty Sunday afternoon, except for a handful of adults walking their dogs on the sand and handful of young children playing in a nearby playground, their shrieks of joys competing against the blustery roar of the wind.
Also down on the beach was Eric Dahli, president of the Cadboro Bay ResidentsB次元官网网址� Association. Without power at home, he was on his way to a meeting, but stopped at the beach to cast out an eye on the relatively calm waters of the bay, after having received (unconfirmed reports) of another washed up boat.
Heavy winds late last year and early this year have already pushed several boats onto shore, and Dahli has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent more boats from washing up by improving various rules and regulations.
His and the influence of others concerned citizens, however, does not extend to controlling the winds, and Environment Canada predicts that after a B次元官网网址渂rief respiteB次元官网网址� Sunday afternoon, winds will pick up again in the evening, before easing late tonight as the outflow caused by an arctic ridge over the interior of British Columbia weakens.
By the time it does, residents like Popkin might have spend their evening in the dark, and Dahli might have to deal with another errant boat on shore.
