What Causes Power Outages?

Power outages can happen at anytime. In spite of all the dollars spent on maintenance and improvements, we are still at the mercy of mother nature and man—which has been the cause of 50% of all outages since the beginning of the year. The following are the seven major causes of natural outages:

Storms
Wind, heat, ice, and snow are the most common causes of widespread power outages.

Lightning
When lightning strikes transmission towers, wires, and poles, outages occur.

Animals
Squirrels, birds, and other small animals are a common cause for power lines to short circuit.

Trees
During high winds, or trimming by an untrained professional, limbs can come into contact with power lines, causing power interruptions.

Excavation/Digging
Underground cables are commonly disturbed by digging. Practice safety when you dig and always call Iowa One Call first at 811.

High Power Demand
During heat waves and other times of unusually high power demand, overburdened electric cables, transformers, and other electrical equipment can melt and fail.

Vehicles
Occasionally, vehicle accidents with a utility pole cause power outages.

If you experience a power outage or notice a problem with our power lines, call us at 1.866.242.4232, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.