Snake Sparks Massive Power Outage In US, Over 11,000 Residents Left In The Dark

A power outage in Virginia left approximately 11,700 customers without electricity on Saturday night, including parts of Kiln Creek, central Newport News, and Christopher Newport University.

Dominion Energy officials reported that the disruption was caused by a snake that made its way into a high-voltage area, leading to contact with a transformer.

Crews were quick to respond, restoring power to all affected customers within an hour and a half. While the snake's specific species was not identified, its actions caused a significant disturbance.

The snake caused the outage when it slithered into a high-voltage area and then came into contact with a transformer. Around 9:15 p.m., there were just over 6,000 outages.

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According to 13 NBC News reports, Dominion Energy crews restored service to all customers by around 10:30 pm, approximately an hour and a half after the first reports of outages.

The breed of the snake responsible has not been identified. However, eastern garter snakes and eastern rat snakes are both native to Virginia.

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According to People Magazine, in May, there were four snake-induced power outages near Nashville. Throughout the month, several snakes found their way into the Henpeck substation in Franklin, Tenn.

In Tennessee, the snakes were mostly identified as grey rat snakes. They found their way into the substations and their powered equipment, causing the equipment to short out.