Mainstream Fiber knows Indiana is no stranger to power outages. In fact, the Hoosier state has experiences 3,362 power outages across its 92 counties since the beginning of 2019. Notably, the counties yielding the highest outages so far are Marion and Noble. Most other Indiana counties experience far less outages in comparison. Regardless, outages tend to happen to most communities at least once a year, and usually without warning. We know the frustration of not being able to use fast-speed internet during an outage, and we always want to know what caused it. We put together a list of common reasons power outages occur in Indiana.
Reasons for power outages
There are a variety of reasons that cause outages. The most common reasons are weather, animals, trees, public accidents, and planned outages.
Weather – This is the most common, and the most well-known, cause for outages. Natural events, such as strong winds, flooding, ice storms, lightning, and tornados, can often impact power lines and electrical equipment.
Animals – There are an abundance of animals that make their way into Indiana communities. The most common animal to cause problems is the squirrel. The tree-dwelling rodents are notorious for climbing on electrical equipment and causing outages. Other animals like snakes, birds, raccoons, foxes, and possums are known to cause short circuits.
Trees – Overgrown trees in close proximity to electrical equipment are always a potential for concern. For instance, limbs can come into contact with power lines due to high winds, or even trimming by an untrained professional. Contact the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for more information on vegetable management safety, reliability, and aesthetics.
Public Accidents – The most common example of this reason are car accidents that happen to damage nearby service poles. When an incident like this happen, your local energy provider will likely begin to fix the damaged equipment soon after being notified.
Planned Outages – Outages purposely conducted are almost always planned at specifically scheduled dates and times. You can find out when these planned outages plan to occur by contacting your local energy provider.
What to do when power goes out
The first thing you should check is your breakers to make sure that isn’t the reason. If that isn’t the case, the next step is to contact your local energy provider. Mainstream wants your power up and running so you can enjoy your smart devices without interruptions.
If you would like more information about this subject or would like to learn more about our fiber internet services, please view our website at www.msfiber.net or contact us at (812) 720 – 9423.
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