Power Restoration and Blinks

Restoring power during inclement weather or after a large accident can be a big job. MVEA maintains a 24-hour, 365 day-a-year on-call crew so if you should lose power, be assured we’re working as quickly as possible to get your lights back on. Below are two videos about the causes of power outages and blinks, and power restoration (PDF).

During large outages please don’t report blinks as outages. Instead, please call (800) 388-9881 and report it as a blink or momentary outage. You may also fill out the Contact Us form, by selecting blinks/momentary outages from the drop-down menu.

What is a power blink?

Power blinks are also brief service interruptions, but they’re typically caused by a fault (short circuit) on a power line or a protective device that’s working in reaction to the fault. Faults can occur through a variety of instances, like squirrels, birds, or other small animals contacting an energized power line; tree branches touching a power line; or lightning and other similar events.

Any of the events noted above can cause your power to blink, but you may also experience a brief interruption when protective devices that act like circuit breakers are working to detect the fault. Believe it or not, these brief power blinks caused by protective devices are actually good because that means the equipment is working as it should to prevent a prolonged outage.

Regardless of the cause, MVEA’s crews will be on their way to inspect the damage and make necessary repairs during a power outage. And you can help too! Any time you experience repeated disruptions to your electric service, please let us know by calling (800) 388-9881 or using SmartHub. Learn more about outage reporting by visiting the outage center.

If you are curious about how power restoration is worked, check out the short video below.