Equipment failure is to blame for a power outage that left area residents without electricity for six hours over the weekend, according to Empire District Electric spokeswoman Julie Maus.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, a transformer at a substation failed and disrupted service to approximately 1,800 Empire customers in both Noel and Lanagan. The exact cause of the failure is unknown, but Maus reports that the transformer had likely been damaged or weakened over a period of time.
Nancy Irish, of Noel, took to Walmart in Jane to beat the heat Saturday evening.
"I thought it'd be back on by the time we got home, but it wasn't until after one in the morning," Irish said. "Fortunately, our house is very well insulated so, the hottest it got during that time was 82 degrees."
But, as temperatures inside of the house rose, temperatures inside of her refrigerator gradually rose as well -- eventually forcing Irish to get rid of items that would spoil, such as milk.
After a crew of electricians were dispatched and the source of the power outage identified, workers traveled to Empire Electric's storeroom in Joplin to secure a replacement part, then returned to make the necessary repairs. Power was restored in the two towns at 1:30 a.m.
General News on 07/30/2015