Ever Wonder What Happens When Your Power Goes Out?
July 15, 2010
Power outages were reported across the North Escambia area Wednesday night as a line of storms moved through the area. But have you ever thought about what happens when your power goes out? NorthEscambia.com thought we would take a look at the behind the scenes things that take place to get your power back on.
Our scenario below involves Escambia River Electric Cooperative and a hypothetical power outage in Walnut Hill. The events could just as well happen in any community in the North Escambia area on EREC, Gulf Power, Alabama Power, or Southern Pine Electric Cooperative.
Here’s our little story, “When the Lights Go Out”:
You were on your couch watching the TV early last night. The main storm has passed, and the rain outside has just about lulled you into a quick early evening nap.
Then it happens. Your power blinks one, two, three times and it’s off. You make your way in the dark to the kitchen where your glow-in-the-dark EREC magnet on the refrigerator is illuminated enough so that you can read the outage number. You call the number, 1-877-OUT-EREC, and follow the voice prompts to report your home’s outage. Your job is done.
What happens now? First of all, let’s set up the scenario for our hypothetical outage. Let’s say you live on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill. This address receives power from the Oak Grove substation, just across the road from the Oak Grove Park on North Highway 99. You are assuming the evening’s thunderstorm is the culprit for your home being left in the dark. You know the proper action for you to take is to call the EREC outage number which you have done. Now, here’s the sequence of events which will take place to restore your power as quickly and safely as possible.
In our power outage scenario, your call comes in to the dispatch center and your name and address appear immediately on the computer screen. The dispatcher then contacts the on-call EREC crew to make repairs. Since the two-man crew is on-call for the evening, each crewman has driven home an EREC truck loaded with equipment and supplies necessary to repair any typical outage that might occur. So when the dispatch call is received, each crewman leaves his home and heads directly to the site of the outage. He does not need to take extra time to go by the EREC facility and get the vehicle, equipment and supplies needed to repair the outage.
Upon arrival to the outage location, the crew investigates the reason for the power failure. Meanwhile they have received additional calls from the dispatch center letting them know there are other nearby houses on Arthur Brown Road, Corley Road and Juniper Street that are experiencing outages as well. After assessment of the power system, the crew determines that the cause of the outage is an RE failure (an oil reclosure breaker) in the substation due to a lightning strike.
This can be handled quickly by the two-man crew so there is no need for additional personnel to be called in for assistance. The crew repairs the damage and calls the dispatch center to let them know all power has been restored. The dispatch center then calls back each member that has reported a power outage to be sure they do have power.
For more photos from inside the Oak Grove Power substation, click here.
The purpose of this story is to create a picture of what is actually happening during a typical power restoration. This is only a possible scenario and, of course, there are many different reasons why your power can go out.
“Although we cannot imagine all the power outage scenarios that can happen, there is one thing we can be sure of. EREC will be there to restore your power as quickly as possible in the dead of night, in the middle of terrible storms or whatever the case may be – EREC crews will do what needs to be done to get the lights back on,” said Sabrina Owens, EREC’s marketing director.
She said that in the case of major outages such as those that occur with hurricanes or other severe weather, specific procedures are in place to restore power to the most people in the shortest amount of time. The following steps describe power restoration after a storm.
- Transmission towers and lines supply power to one or more transmission substations. These lines seldom fail, but they can be damaged by a hurricane or tornado. Tens of thousands of people could be served by one high-voltage transmission line, so if there is damage here it gets attention first.
- Escambia River EC has several local distribution substations, each serving thousands of members. When a major outage occurs, the local distribution substations are checked first. A problem here could be caused by failure in the transmission system supplying the substation. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.
- Main distribution supply lines are checked next if the problem cannot be isolated at the substation. These supply lines carry electricity away from the substation to a group of members, such as a town or housing development. When power is restored at this stage, all members served by this supply line could see the lights come on, as long as there is no problem farther down the line.
- The final supply lines, called tap lines, carry power to the utility poles or underground transformers outside houses or other buildings. Line crews fix the remaining outages based on restoring service to the greatest number of members.
- Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between your house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This can explain why you have no power when your neighbor does. EREC needs to know you have an outage in this type of situation so that a service crew can repair it.
Members themselves (not the cooperative) are responsible for damage to the service installation on the building. The member will need to have a licensed electrician make these repairs.
For more photos from inside the Oak Grove Power substation, click here.
Special thanks to Sabrina Owens at EREC for her assistance with this story from our files , and to the linemen that assisted with the photographs. It’s worth noting that the photographs were taken on a nice sunny morning rather than during a real power outage after a storm due to the dangers of standing in a power substation after a storm has just passed.
Pictured above: EREC prepare to fix an oil reclosure breaker (RE) failure inside the Oak Grove power substation. Pictured below: That breaker is installed on a transmission line headed to the Arthur Brown Road area of Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Davisville Buglary Suspect Behind Bars On Unrelated Charge
July 15, 2010
The suspect in a Sunday afternoon burglary in Davisville that allegedly had a child in his car at the time of the crime is now behind bars on an unrelated charge.
However, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has decline to reveal the man’s identity until he is formally charged with Sunday’s burglary. That is expected to occur after a judge signs an arrest warrant against the man.
He is being held without bond on a probation violation charge.
For more information about Sunday’s burglary, click here for a story from earlier this week.
School Districts Question Validity Of FCAT Results
July 15, 2010
Several school districts in Florida are questioning the validity of recently released FCAT results.
The Florida Department of Education has secured yet another outside party to review the scores of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test after school districts complained that an independent auditor was a subcontractor of Pearson, the state contractor who administers and grades the FCAT.
Glitches in a Pearson program resulted in delays of the test results and when they were delivered, five districts still questioned their validity.
Education Commissioner Eric Smith said he was sure the results were accurate, but that a third party vendor, HumPRO would conduct another independent review of the test scores. The schools cried foul though when it was revealed that HumPro was a subcontractor for Pearson.
DOE spokesman Tom Butler said Wednesday that the department was aware of the connection. But that the department required Pearson, in its initial bid to administer the FCAT, to provide a subcontractor who would independently verify the results.
“They report their results directly to Florida DOE to ensure independence from contractor influence,” Butler said in an email. The department also has contracted with the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment to provide another independent analysis of the results.
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are not currently among the districts questioning this year’s FCAT results.
by The News Service Florida
Council On Aging Caregiver Support Meeting Tonight
July 15, 2010
Council on Aging of West Florida will host a Century Caregiver Support Group Meeting on at 6:00 tonight. There is no cost and the public is invited. Reservations are not required. The meeting will be held at Century Care Center at 6020 Industrial Blvd. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location. County residency is not required to attend.
The support group is part of Council on Aging of West Florida programs designed to reduce stress, increase coping skills, provide strategies for effective management of care giving tasks and enable caregivers to provide high quality care in the home. The programs are sponsored by Council on Aging of West Florida, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging. For more information, call 432-1475.
Council on Aging of West Florida is a local, independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that has served seniors and their families since 1972. Council on Aging of West Florida helps seniors in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties live healthy, safe and independent lives in their own familiar surroundings by providing community based, in-home programs and services such as Meals on Wheels and Alzheimer’s respite care.
Murzins Asks For Public Opinon On Oil Drilling
July 15, 2010
State Rep. David Murzin (R-Pensacola) wants to know how his constituents feel about a proposed constitutional amendment to ban offshore drilling in Florida recently endorsed by Gov. Charlies Crist.
“Do the citizens of Florida feel there is a need to turn this into a constitutional issue?” asked Rep Murzin. “Drilling is already illegal in Florida waters, and this oil spill is impacting us from several states away. I want to make sure I have input from the people of Florida before we proceed.”
Residents can take the survey on www.davemurzin.com. It reads, “Do you support Governor Crist’s proposal to amend the Florida Constitution to add a ban on the exploration for, drilling for, extraction of, and production of oil in Florida territorial seas?”
More Rain Possible
July 15, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 91. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Friday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 92. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Saturday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly cloudy, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Monday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Monday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Tuesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Tuesday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Wednesday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Pelicans Get 11th Straight Victory
July 15, 2010
The Pelicans (9-0) offense remains on fire and John Alonso and Dane Devalk lead Pensacola to a win over the Fort Worth Cats (4-5) by a final score of 9-5. Pensacola has now won 11 straight games.
Pensacola jumped out in front early in the top of the first inning. John Alonso lined a sharp single to right center to score Carlos Leon from third base to give the Pels an early 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jeremy Sauceda launched a hanging curveball from Dane Devalk well over the left field wall to give the Cats a 2-1 lead. The homerun was Sauceda’s first of the season.
The Pelicans battled back in the top of the third inning when they loaded the bases with one out. Adolfo Gonzalez drew a bases loaded walk to score John Alonso and tie the game up at 2. Marcos Rodriguez followed with an RBI groundout to second scoring Lou Palmisano and giving Pensacola the lead back at 3-2.
In the top of the fourth inning with Javier Brito on base, John Alonso continued his hot ways with his bat. Alonso belted a hanging slider deep into left center which hit high up on the scoreboard for a two run homerun giving the Pels a 5-2 advantage. The majestic homer was Alono’s sixth of the season.
With score 6-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Lou Palmisano lined a two out double just fair down the third base line scoring Francisco Leandro and John Alonso all the way from first base to extend the lead for the Pels to 8-2.
John Alonso led the Pelicans offense tonight going for 4 for 6 with 3 runs batted in.
Dane Devalk (5-4) gets the win as he goes 6 1/3 innings and gives up five runs-four earned off ten hits on the night.
Please join us for the final game of this three game series with the Fort Worth Cats tomorrow night. First pitch is at 7:05pm with the pregame show at 6:55pm live via sportsjuice on pensacolapelicans.com. You can also watch the game as well on our watch live link via ustream.tv.
‘Officer-Involved’ Shooting Leaves North Escambia Man Dead
July 15, 2010
The driver killed in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning in Pensacola has been identified as Clifton Salter, brother of Santa Rosa County Commissioner Don Salter.
The Florida Highway Patrol has issued few details about the shooting that happened after traffic stop on Pine Forest Road. According to the FHP, a trooper initiated a traffic stop at 8:27 a.m. Wednesday on Pine Forest Road just north of Longleaf Drive, about a mile from the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.
“During the course of the traffic stop a shooting occurred resulting in the death of the driver. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene,” a release from the FHP stated.
Family members said Salter, a Cottage Hill resident, was a retired BellSouth customer service supervisor and a Vietnam veteran. A Pensacola television station reported that Salter suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The trooper involved in the shooting, who is assigned to the FHP’s Pensacola’s troop, has been placed on administrative leave under departmental policy.
It was not immediately clear if the driver was shot by the trooper of if it was a self-inflicted wound. Witnesses report hearing multiple shots. The trooper was not injured.
Southbound Pine Forest Road was closed for several hours as the investigation continues by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. All officer-involved shootings are investigated by FDLE.
Pictured above and below: Officials investigate an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning on Pine Forest Road. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
July 14, 2010
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Statement as of 8:41 PM CDT on July 14, 2010
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for…
northwestern Escambia County in northwest Florida…
* until 915 PM CDT
* National Weather Service radar indicated a severe
thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail…and damaging
winds over 60 mph.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move
indoors immediately! Lightning is one of natures number one killers.
Remember…if you can hear thunder…you are close enough to be
struck by lightning.
No Injuries In Molino Crash
July 14, 2010
There were no injuries reported in a Wednesday morning traffic crash near Molino.
The accident was reported about 11:20 at Highway 29 and Barrineau Park Road. There was no road blockage, and all patients involved in the crash refused transport to the hospital.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.