Squirrel causes power outages for more than 12,000 peope in upstate New York

[dhjohns]

 

Talk about nuts.

 

Officials in upstate New York say a pesky squirrel was behind a massive string of power outages that left more than 10,000 people in the dark this weekend.

 

The rodent somehow managed to make its way into a substation in Lancaster, a Buffalo suburb, Sunday, knocking out three substations, New York State Electric and Gas said.

 

Some 12,000 customers in Alden, Marilla, Cheektowaga and Clarence were stuck without power until it was restored Sunday afternoon after approximately three hours, officials said.

 

Nibbling squirrels have long been a pain for power equipment, with The Washington Post reporting in 2015 that 9-21% of all unplanned outages in the area in 2013 and 2014 were caused by the animals.

 

A squirrel also famously shut down the Nasdaq for 82 minutes in 1987, and again in 1994, according to The New York Times.

 

Source

[Ballistic Gelatin]

Squirrels have long known how to hack electrical systems. Problem is, they can do it only one time.

[mikie]

I've seen some crispy squirrels behind my house at the base of the power pole/transformer.

 

Would think the electrical utilities would have increased the ampacity of the various protective fuse links beyond the ampacity carrying capacity of the standard squirrel body by now.  But guess there is not much they can do to protect against the fatter ones fed by the friendly humans.