![Did You Know? Squirrels Are The Cause of Most U.S. Power Outages](http://townsquare.media/site/679/files/2021/10/attachment-saad-chaudhry-oeEvECqgYO8-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Did You Know? Squirrels Are The Cause of Most U.S. Power Outages
Can you believe this? According to the American Public Power Association (APPA), squirrels are behind the majority of power outages in the United States.
Typically, squirrels cause issues by digging or gnawing through electrical insulation or by themselves actually becoming a current pathway between electrical conductors.
In 2016, utilities reported 3,456 outages caused by the clever little rodents. This meant power was cut off to more than 193,873 customers all because of squirrels!
The APPA's eReliability Tracker technology assists in gaining a better understanding of the timing and patterns of squirrel-related outages throughout the years. After four years of monitoring, the trends became clear. We can definitely expect more squirrel-related disruptions in the spring and fall.
In 2015 former deputy director of the National Security Agency, John C. Inglis, said, "Frankly, the number one threat experienced to date by the U.S. electrical grid is squirrels."
And now you know!
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