A cold front roared in from the west around 3 a.m. Monday, downing power lines and uprooting trees in the Shuswap.
Environment Canada notes the weather station at the Salmon Arm Airport clocked peak wind gusts at 63 km/h, with other Interior stations registering gusts of 90 km/hr.
Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven reports that 10 mm of rain fell in a couple of hours.
More than 13,000 Salmon Arm area customers were without power in the morning, primarily those in outlying areas. The areas included Sorrento, throughout the entire North Shuswap, parts of Tappen, White Lake, Yankee Flats, Deep Creek and Auto Road among others.
BC Hydro rep Jen Walker Larsen says the storm caused substantial damage in the region.
As of 8:30 a.m. June 25, five hydro crews were operating in Salmon Arm and a couple more were on their way to help restore power.
Walker Larsen suggests customers check the utility’s website at www.bchydro.com/power-outages, where updates will be made as they become available.
Anyone who spots downed wires is asked to assume they are live, call 911 and stay 10 metres away from the lines.
And Erven has her own suggestion as the thunderstorm season begins: If you hear thunder, make your way indoors.
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