Approximately 1,300 homes and businesses in Port Alberni, British Columbia, lost electricity on March 24, 2026, after a powerful windstorm swept across Vancouver Island. BC Hydro crews were sent to the area to investigate the damage and get the lights back on for residents.
The outage in Port Alberni was part of a larger storm that left nearly 60,000 customers across the island without power at its peak. Environment Canada had previously issued warnings for the region, noting that wind gusts could reach speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour.
About 15 per cent of the private dwellings in the city were affected by the service disruption. High winds often cause trees and branches to fall onto power lines, which has been a recurring issue for the utility provider in recent years due to dry and damaged vegetation.
Residents looking for updates on when their service will return can check the official outage map provided by the utility. The storm also caused problems for travellers, as B.C. Ferries had to cancel several sailings because of the rough weather conditions.
