In the past five years alone, many of us Long Islanders have become familiar with what it’s like to be without power for more than a few days – cue Hurricane Irene (2011) and Hurricane Sandy (2012). But although power outages are not unusual under such circumstances, hurricanes aren’t the only weather-related reason why you might find yourself sitting by candlelight for a few hours or more.

To shed some more light on the common causes of power outages, we’ve listed out three more weather events that can cause electrical problems in your town below.

Ice Storms

And maybe even heavy snow storms, too. Ice storms often leave a buildup of ice on power lines and tree branches, both of which are sometimes not strong enough to bear the weight. As a result, power lines may fall, or, tree branches or entire trees may fall onto power lines, taking them down with them.

Rain

Although your typical rain storm most likely won’t knock your power out, heavy rains might. When rain accumulates to the point of flooding, both aboveground and underground electrical equipment are at risk. For safety reasons, the power may be shut off on purpose, or, the water from flooding itself may result in damage that affects your service.

Lightning

When lightning strikes electrical equipment, power outages are almost inevitable (unless you happen to get lucky). However, even if lightning doesn’t make direct contact with the electrical system, it can also cause an outage if it strikes a tree close to your power lines – if it does, the tree may fall and take out your power.

Should a downed power line cause an outage in your home, do not – we repeat, do not, touch or even go near it if you can avoid it. For your own safety, call your local service provider immediately so that they can assess the situation.

TFC Electric Inc. is a full service residential and commercial electrician that serves all of Suffolk County, New York. For information about the electrical services offered, call (631) 589-2800.