A snake that contacted live equipment at the Cedar Lake Primary Substation in Decatur, Alabama, caused a power outage that left about 10,000 customers without electricity this week. I read the report from The Cool Down, which confirmed crews traced the outage to the substation and shifted restoration work toward rerouting electricity and handling repairs.
The reptile made contact with live components, triggering a fault that knocked out service to a wide area. Unlike many wildlife-related outages that involve squirrels or birds, substation encounters with snakes are less common but can be just as disruptive. The Cool Down noted that utility crews focused on rerouting power rather than simply resetting breakers, because of the equipment damage.
Snakes are drawn to substations for warmth and shelter, especially as temperatures drop in fall. The enclosed, warm environment around transformers and other gear can attract them during seasonal shifts. For homeowners in Alabama and across the Southeast, this event is a reminder that wildlife can affect utility infrastructure in unexpected ways.
If you find a snake in your garage or other outbuilding, it’s important to stay calm and give it space. I recommend reviewing What Do You Do If a Snake Is in Your Bathroom? for calm, step-by-step guidance on handling a snake indoors. For garages specifically, the Snake Emergency in Garage guide covers three critical steps to contain the animal and prevent future issues. Neither scenario requires homeowners to confront the snake, most species in the region are non-venomous and will leave on their own if given an escape route.
The notice is published by The Cool Down at www.thecooldown.com.
