Highways closed, thousands without power as ‘bomb cyclone’ hits B.C. coast [Video]

THE LATEST:

• Schoolchildren on Vancouver Island had to shelter in place, and Highway 4 has been closed near Port Alberni due to downed trees on Vancouver Island.
• Multiple ferry routes have been cancelled, and others are at risk of cancellation, to and from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland due to high winds.
• At least five highways have been closed on Vancouver Island due to downed power lines, debris and fallen trees.
• More than 100,000 B.C. Hydro customers are without power on Vancouver Island, as wind gusts of up to 160 km/h were reported.
• Most highways in B.C. require vehicles to have winter tires or chains from Oct. 1 until April 30. Drivers can check DriveBC for the latest road conditions along their planned route.
• Short on power or need to preserve data? Read a low-bandwidth version of this story on CBC Lite.

A “bomb cyclone” that brought wind gusts of up to 160 km/h to …