By Greg Fry / CKPG Today

Hydro Report

British Columbians mistaking pandemic preparedness for power outage readiness: report

Nov 13, 2020 | 12:02 PM

VICTORIA — A new report by BC Hydro says British Columbians are mistaking pandemic preparedness with power outage readiness.

The report titled ‘Stocked up but unprepared: How COVID-19 preparation has created a false sense of storm season security’ found nearly 20 per cent of people think they are more prepared for winter storms this year because of COVID-19.

This sense of preparedness comes from stocking up on household supplies like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, groceries and alcohol – which 44 per cent indicate they have done.

Despite all this, the report also found that over half of us do not have an emergency preparedness kit and about 30 per cent admit they have not taken any steps to prepare for an outage.

All of this as new data shows a 117 per cent increase in storms causing damage to BC Hydro’s electric system.

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To properly prepare for a storm, BC Hydro says we can taken a number of steps including having an emergency kit on hand and making a plan for your family or household.