Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Falling Power Poles Create 'Domino Effect'
NBC San Diego ^ | Friday, Mar 15, 2013 | Monica Garske and Artie Ojeda

Posted on 03/15/2013 11:29:15 AM PDT by nickcarraway

At least eight power poles in El Cajon were impacted Thursday for unknown reasons, leading to a power outage

Several power poles toppled over for unknown reasons in El Cajon Thursday, creating a domino effect and a power outage that continued through the next morning.

Heartland Fire & Rescue and San Diego Gas & Electric officials arrived in the 300 block of South Mollison Avenue and East Lexington Avenue around 4:45 p.m. to check out reports of downed power poles.

Eight power poles were either leaning or had fully fallen over into the street.

Fire officials set up a command post near the intersection and secured the area for investigation.

SDG&E says an automatic switch immediately de-energized the lines once the first pole fell so nobody was hurt.

Crews worked carefully for hours to figure out what's underground, so they wouldn't dig up any water lines. AT&T and Cox Cable crews are also at the scene.

Officials temporarily blocked off traffic at Mollision Avenue between Main Street and Washington Avenue, while police provided traffic control.

Officials say the cause of the downed power poles is unknown at this point.

Residents were kept from returning to their home for hours. Roger George manages an apartment complex in the area. "I got people telling me 'Text me when you know I can get in.' So I got people at friends' houses, relatives houses, waiting to hear from me so I can say it's good to come in," George said Thursday night.

El Cajon police eventually escorted residents back into their homes late Thursday evening.

Initially hundreds of customers were without power, telephone and cable service. As of 7:45 p.m., there were still about 600 people without power in the area. That number had dropped to approximately 80 customers as of 7 a.m.

SDG&E spokesperson Amber Albrecht told NBC 7 power could be restored as early as 4:30 p.m. Friday but that is an estimate. The first downed pole was reported at about 4:30 p.m., and as far as officials can tell, this created a chain reaction, causing several other poles to follow suit and topple over. No one was injured and there were no car accidents on the impacted streets.

El Cajon PIO Monica Zech said two poles fell down completely, and six others were leaning and "compromised." Although one El Cajon resident told NBC 7 she saw some power poles leaning Wednesday, Albrecht said she was not aware of any calls or concerns.

A Heartland Fire spokesperson told NBC 7 that in addition to finding enough crews to replace the poles, officials had to wait for crews to identify where water, gas and sewer lines are located before they can start digging.

Camelot Gardens resident Travis Matern had a theory connecting the pole collapse to a recent quake.

"I couldn't understand why it just fell, I didn't think there was any way that the earthquake that happened a couple days ago could have knocked down a power line and if it did they should have been checked after an earthquake everyday it should be checked," Matern. The city will be evaluating the condition of other utility poles in the area.


TOPICS: Local News; Miscellaneous; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 03/15/2013 11:29:15 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

root cause? union labor


2 posted on 03/15/2013 11:35:25 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Well Duh, I saw this on “The Langoliers” years ago.


3 posted on 03/15/2013 11:37:44 AM PDT by kevslisababy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Wind?


4 posted on 03/15/2013 12:09:50 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I thought this was going to be about Lech Walesa.


5 posted on 03/15/2013 12:17:04 PM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius (www.wilsonharpbooks.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I went through SD after a ice storm there were thousands of poles down.


6 posted on 03/15/2013 1:05:29 PM PDT by riverrunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

Maybe it was Jethro fetching some wood for the stoves.

Remember the episode where he comes back from fetching firewood and tells granny he’d found a whole line of trees already de-branched and strung together from the tops with wire? LOL!


7 posted on 03/15/2013 1:41:36 PM PDT by tsowellfan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver

You may be correct, but there has to be some forcing function involved here.

What is the physics involved?


8 posted on 03/15/2013 1:44:25 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

As I understand it from a relative who works in the business, one pole goes and pulls the rest with it.


9 posted on 03/15/2013 2:10:12 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver

Makes sense, but something started the process which hasn’t been reported yet.


10 posted on 03/15/2013 2:12:28 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson