Eagle Lands on Power Line, Knocks Out Electricity to Hundreds of Seattle Homes
Hundreds of customers in Seattle were left without power after an eagle died when it landed on a power line.
Authorities told Komo News the eagle landed on an electrical transformer near Volunteer Park in Seattle, Washington, on Monday night. The bird died shortly after it landed on the power lines at around 8.26 p.m.
An outage map showed 271 customers had been affected and that the cause of the localized disruption had been caused by a "bird/ animal."
A Seattle detective told Komo News the eagle landed on the transformer in the 1500 block of East Garfield. It added the power outage affected more than 250 homes in the area.
The eagle was later taken to the Washington State Patrol, which has an office in the city, as it is a protected species, according to the outlet.
Newsweek has viewed the city's current power outages map, which said the issue has been resolved.
While there have been several events where animals have caused outages, most notably in December 2016 when a bird dropped a salmon onto a power line which caused a two-hour blackout for 172 customers, the most serious cases in the state happen during natural disasters.
In January this year, strong winds and heavy rain left more than half a million homes without power during an overnight storm.
Washington reported more than 540,000 outages while neighboring Oregon saw 110,000 homes without power.
The National Weather Service in Seattle said the area was off to its "wettest start to the year on record in several locations."
River flood warnings were in place at 14 locations in western Washington and major roads, including the Interstate 84, in eastern Oregon, were also closed because of truck crashes blamed on wintry weather.
The Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) issued a series of recommendations to people who find themselves in a power outage.
Among them is advice to turn off all lights and electrical appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer, but to leave one lamp on to know when power is restored.
People are also recommended to unplug computers and sensitive equipment "to protect them from possible surges when the power is restored."
The WSDH also offered guidance to avoid using candles due to fire risks. Instead, it said: "It's far better to use battery-operated flashlights or glow sticks for lighting."
Newsweek has contacted the Washington State Patrol and the city of Seattle for comment.
