Balloons Cause Power Outages
Hawaiian Electric聽urges the public to keep safety tips in mind, as the metallic balloons get entangled in power lines.
First it was scary clowns. Now we have to worry about balloons.
Metallic balloons, to be specific.
Hawaiian Electric issued a warning Tuesday, saying that the聽number of power outages caused by metallic balloons entangled in power lines “continues to rise.”
Short circuits, it seems, can knock out power to an entire neighborhood.
There were聽21 such outages so far this year on聽Oahu. Since 2008, there has been an average of 17 metallic balloon outages each year, the peak coming in聽2013.
The latest incident was on Oct. 23, when a balloon got entangled in power lines on Waialae Avenue near St. Louis Drive-In.
HECO says more than 1,200 customers in the area lost power.
So, the company is urging聽the public to “hang onto and secure their celebratory balloon.”
Here’s a few tips:
- make sure the balloon鈥檚 string or ribbon is securely tied to it;
- add a weight to the end of the string or ribbon;
- never release balloons into the sky; and
- deflate balloons after the聽celebration.
“Anyone spotting a metallic balloon in a power line should not try to free it,” warns聽HECO.
Instead, call the utility’s trouble line at 1 (855) 304-1212.
HECO had no advice on what to do about scary clowns.
