Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 4:00 p.m. – Approximately 1200 residents remain without power. The District continues to receive notice of lines down. If you come across a downed or damaged power line, assume its live and a danger. Stay back at least 10 metres (the length of a bus) and dial 911 to report. BC Hydro shares, “Remember these three words to stay safe: Down. Danger. Dial.”
Lost power? Check the BC Hydro outage map to see if BC Hydro is aware of the outage. If the outage isn’t shown, call 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile or report it online.
Also due to the weather event, Drive BC advises of downed hydro lines between Kemp Lake Rd and Grant Rd W for 3.6 km (Sooke). Single lane alternating traffic is in place, with a detour via Otter Point Road. Continue to stay informed about road conditions at drivebc.ca
Wednesday, January 2021,1:38pm – The Sooke Potholes will remain closed through today until, at least, tomorrow morning. An exact reopening is not yet known.
Trees fell in several District parks including Ed Mcgregor, Deerlepe and Bluffs overnight. Sites were assessed early Wednesday morning and no further park closures were deemed necessary.
Parks crews will continue to manage the cleanup. Jessica Boquist, Parks and Environmental Services Coordinator describes the effects, “It will take some time for our team to clear all sites. Trees were downed in several parks and tree crews are in high demand. There is additional debris ashore at Whiffen Spit as well so, while our team is responding throughout the community, clean up efforts will likely continue into next week.”
For the latest on road conditions, please visit drivebc.ca
The District will continue to keep the community informed.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021,10:35 am – The District is aware of trees down in parks throughout the community. Staff are attending sites and prioritizing responses.
At this time, while the Sooke Potholes is the only park closed, please remain cautious in all parks, on trails, and vigilant near river and ocean shorelines.
Managing clean up will take some time. More updates will be shared, as new information becomes available.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 9:07 am – For public safety, due to adverse conditions including downed trees and power lines, access to the Sooke Potholes will remain closed until further notice during the current weather event.
The public should remain cautious of debris in all parks and vigilant near river and ocean shorelines. Jessica Boquist Parks and Environmental Services Coordinator shares, “Our team is monitoring conditions and managing debris in parks and on trails throughout the community.” Winter storms can be unpredictable. “Proximity to numerous to water areas, in addition, the debris from trees can create unsettled conditions. In addition to being mindful of debris, it is a good idea to be ‘coast smart’ in particular at this time of year,” adds Boquist.
The District will continue to monitor the conditions and provide updates, as available, through this web page and the District of Sooke Twitter account.
Coast Smart has a dedicated website designed to enhance coastal safety with resources and videos. To learn more, visit the Coast Smart website at coastsmart.ca.
Contact:
Christina Moog, Communications Coordinator
District of Sooke
2205 Otter Point Road
Tel: 250.642.1634, ext. 678
Email: cmoog@sooke.ca
Local emergency information sources:
- District of Sooke Twitter Channel: www.twitter.com/SookeCa
- The Sooke Fire Rescue Dept. Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SookeFireRescue/
- The Sooke ESS Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SookeEmergencySupportServices/
- District of Sooke website: www.sooke.ca
- Emergency Info BC: www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/
