Fallen branches block part of 27 Street in Vernon outside the courthouse, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017.
(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
October 17, 2017 - 2:34 PM
Violent winds and heavy rains battered parts of the Okanagan and Shuswap today.
The storm came today, Oct. 17, just as Environment Canada predicted it in a special weather statement issued that morning.
The dramatic storm knocked out power to thousands across the Central and North Okanagan, as well as the Shuswap region.
According to B.C. Hydro, large outages are affecting people in Armstrong, Coldstream, Vernon, Lake Country, Peachland and West Kelowna.
A notice on B.C. Hydro’s website states that outages are expected to increase until the winds abate.
“Crews have been dispatched to all areas to restore power quickly and safely. Exact restoration times will not be available until full damage assessments are complete,” B.C. Hydro says.
For the very latest on power outages go to the B.C. Hydro website here.
The wind also brought trees and branches down across the region. In Vernon, tree branches were knocked onto 27 Street, outside the Vernon Courthouse.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017