VERNON, BC – Vernon Jubilee Hospital operated on backup generators for approximately 50 minutes Monday morning following a BC Hydro outage that affected thousands of residents in Vernon and Coldstream.
In an email statement, Interior Health confirmed the brief power outage: “Interior Health can confirm that a brief power outage resulted in Vernon Jubilee Hospital going to back-up generator power for about 50 minutes this morning. Hospitals do have generators in place to maintain continuity of care for patients in these situations.”
The outage, caused by a bird striking BC Hydro wires, left 4,283 customers without power from 9:41 a.m. to 10:28 a.m.
The Role of Backup Generators in Extreme Weather Events
Meanwhile, in Houston, Hurricane Beryl’s impact earlier this month highlighted the significance of backup power solutions. The hurricane caused prolonged outages, with hundreds of thousands of residents regaining power only today. The New York Times underscored the importance of having generators during such crises, noting that for some Houston-area residents, their pickup trucks served as generators.
Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning, featuring Pro Power Onboard, emerged as a critical resource. This feature, available in both electric and gas-powered models, allows the F-150 to power various equipment and even other electric vehicles during outages. Over the weekend, Ford North America Product Communications director showcased on Threads how this feature was extensively used in Houston post-Hurricane Beryl. The shared map indicated a significant increase in Ford drivers utilizing Pro Power Onboard to generate power before, during, and after the storm.
The Growing Demand for Backup Power Solutions
The chaos caused by extreme weather events like Hurricane Beryl has driven many to consider purchasing home generators. The ability of vehicles like the F-150 Lightning to act as supplementary or even primary backup power sources could influence future consumer decisions, especially in light of recent controversies over power loss during such disasters. The aftermath of Beryl may lead to a surge in sales of vehicles equipped with such power-generating capabilities.
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