Power outages are never convenient. Sometimes, it’s no mystery why there is a power outage, like when lightning and thunder rattle windows and walls. Other times, an outage may come out of the blue during perfect weather conditions.
If you find yourself without power on a nice day, here are some of the most common non-weather-related causes of outages.
Accidents: A vehicle accident involving a utility pole can damage a pole and knock lines from overhead. Below ground, excavation accidents can disturb buried electric lines.
Animals: Small animals and birds can climb on poles and electrical equipment, which may cause a short circuit or equipment to shut down.
Vandalism: People shoot at insulators and transformers in rural areas and steal copper wire or other electrical equipment near substations. Both acts of vandalism can be extremely costly and deadly.
Trees: We maintain regular tree trimming schedules to keep lines clear, but sometimes large tree limbs can snap, or entire trees can topple onto power lines. If you have a tree on your property that needs to be trimmed, please let us know!
Planned outages: Part of providing reliable service includes performing system upgrades and maintenance. Sometimes this means we have to turn off the power temporarily. We always notify affected consumers in advance of a planned outage. So keep your account information updated!
Keep an eye out on Facebook for other outage causes and power restoration updates if you ever find yourself without power on a sunny afternoon.