A recent power outage in Virginia left around 11,700 customers in the dark on Saturday night. The outage affected several areas, including Kiln Creek, central Newport News, and Christopher Newport University. Dominion Energy quickly identified the cause: a snake made its way into a high-voltage area and disrupted a transformer.
The unexpected visitor slithered into a high-voltage zone, making contact with critical electrical equipment. This contact caused a significant power failure that began around 9:15 p.m., leading to over 6,000 reported outages. The outage spread rapidly but was contained effectively by Dominion Energy crews.
The utility company responded swiftly, and power was fully restored to all affected areas by approximately 10:30 p.m., just an hour and a half after the initial reports of the outage. Despite the disruption, Dominion Energy managed to minimize the impact and quickly rectify the situation.
While the exact species of the snake was not identified, it’s worth noting that Virginia is home to various snake species. Both eastern garter snakes and eastern rat snakes are native to the region and could be potential candidates for the incident.
This event is reminiscent of similar incidents that occurred earlier this year in Tennessee. In May, power outages caused by snakes disrupted electrical service near Nashville. In those cases, grey rat snakes were identified as the culprits. These snakes entered substations, causing short circuits and power disruptions by interfering with sensitive electrical equipment.
The recent Virginia incident highlights an unusual but not unprecedented challenge for power companies. Animals, including snakes, have occasionally been responsible for power outages by making contact with high-voltage equipment. Such incidents underscore the importance of maintaining and securing electrical infrastructure to prevent disruptions.
Dominion Energy’s rapid response and effective management of the situation prevented what could have been a more prolonged power outage. Their ability to restore power swiftly is a testament to their preparedness and the efficiency of their emergency response teams.
In summary, while the specific snake involved in the Virginia power outage remains unidentified, the incident demonstrates the potential risks that wildlife can pose to electrical systems. Both Dominion Energy and power companies in general must remain vigilant in their efforts to safeguard infrastructure against such unpredictable disruptions.
