Squirrel causes downtown power outage - WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 - Charleston News, Sports, Weather

Squirrel causes downtown power outage

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Officials with South Carolina Electric and Gas have confirmed that things got squirrely on Monday morning after a furry fiend got into a substation.

The squirrel, which caused damage to pertinent wires before its shocking death, managed to shut off power for a 9-block area at approximately 8:13 a.m.

Kim Asbill, public affairs specialist with SCE&G said that power was restored by 10 a.m. as the company temporarily switched power to businesses and residences to another substation.

"It spanned from Cumberland and East Bay all the way down the battery to the tip of the peninsula and maybe another fourth to five blocks around Broad and Meeting Streets," Asbill said.

SCE&G planned to have repairs completed by 3 p.m., at which time they planned to switch customers back to their regular substation for power. Asbill said the company was not expecting any other outages or issues as a result of that process.

Monday's incident is fairly common, Asbill said.

"I have been working in Charleston since November and I have gotten three or four calls like this," she said. "Mostly squirrels."