Wild Cat Causes Power Outage for More Than 3,000
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (January 26, 2006) – A wild cat who climbed or jumped his way into a heavily fenced substation Tuesday night led to a power outage affecting 3,068 members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation.
Linemen responded quickly to restore power in just under an hour, with the outage lasting from 11:48 p.m. to 12:40 a.m. The substation serves the Patterson community.
The wild cat caused the outage when he jumped onto a 10-foot high breaker and was immediately electrocuted by the 12,470 voltage in the substation.
Substations are designed to “step down”, or reduce, high voltage power carried over power lines. The power is then distributed from the substation to homes and businesses in the community that the substation serves. Blue Ridge Electric constructs fencing with bob wire across the top of the fence around all substations for security and public safety.
The cooperative reminds the public that substations are energized and can be dangerous, even deadly. Substations are marked with “danger” signs to warn the public of the high voltage equipment inside. Blue Ridge Electric reminds residents to stay away from substations.
Linemen across the cooperative’s service area worked throughout Tuesday night restoring power to members at various locations as a result of winds gusting as high as 80 miles an hour. High winds caused trees and limbs outside the cooperative’s right of way to hit or pull down power lines, in some instances causing broken poles.
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative, serving some 69,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Alexander counties.
