- A snake caused a power outage for 6,500 Dominion Energy customers.
- The reptile triggered an automatic safety shutdown at an electrical substation.
- Power was restored after about two hours and 15 minutes of the outage.
An unexpected visitor caused an overnight power outage that left thousands of people without electricity. A snake triggered an outage affecting about 6,500 Dominion Energy customers across the Shenandoah Valley shortly after midnight on July 1. The reptile caused the disruption by slithering across a critical piece of equipment at an electrical substation, reported People.com.
Dominion Energy spokesperson Craig Carper said that the snake's contact with the equipment activated an automatic safety shutdown designed to protect the electrical system from more extensive damage.
While the cause may sound unusual, Carper said it was not unheard of.
Carper said, "Snakes, squirrels, birds, some of our wildlife friends don't know what they're getting into and sometimes it can cause problems for them and for us."
According to the company, customers were without power for about two hours and 15 minutes before service was restored. Carper said the substation's protective systems worked as intended, limiting the damage to the equipment.
Carper added, "The safety system prevented more serious damage," noting that any damage to the substation was considered minor.
According to Dominion, the automatic shutdown helped prevent a much larger disruption to the electrical grid.
