The city of Escanaba, Michigan got a rude awakening to the realities of the Animal Uprising™ when a ravening rodent wrecked their local electric company leaving 1,300 people without power. Well, ok, it didn't exactly wreck the company, we exaggerated a little there. But it did find a way to short out one of the main circuits all the way back to the power plant.
However, Tuesday afternoon in a southern Escanaba neighborhood, a short caused by a squirrel went all the way back to the power plant, shutting down one of the city's four main circuits and affecting businesses along US 41.
All power was restored within about 30 minutes. Officials say the squirrel didn't make it. (Ed. Note: But it probably was a spectacular flash.)
It would appear that their protective relaying scheme may need a bit of a tweak. Depending on how things are configured and the transmission voltage involved, it is a bit unusual to see a squirrel induced fault trip a line all the way back to the plant.
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