OK - Edmond residents lose power for more than hour 11/29/2000

EDMOND -- Thousands of Edmond residents were without power for more than an hour Tuesday after a weather balloon hit an electrical line. The power outage, which affected 6,100 electric customers on the north and west sides of the city, happened after an Oklahoma Gas & Electric line dropped onto an Edmond Electric substation, said Claudia Deakins, a city of Edmond spokeswoman.

The outage was caused when a weather balloon flew into the transmission line and caused it to burn the line on top of the pole, said Dean Sherrick, Edmond Electric distribution superintendent.

He said an Edmond Electric employee originally was dispatched to the area because a caller said a kite was in the electrical line.

The downed line caused a shortage around 1:40 p.m. at the Ketch substation on Danforth Road west of Kelly Avenue, Deakins said. She said a chain reaction affected the White substation on Sorghum Mill between Bryant and Kelly avenues.

Service at the White substation was restored by Edmond Electric workers by 2:20 p.m., Deakins said.

Power was restored to all customers who lost power by 3 p.m.

http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=595833&pic=none&TP=getarticle

-- Doris (nocents@bellsouth.net), November 30, 2000