While I was sitting watching the TV at about 3:20am this morning my living room brightened to a blinding white, went back down and then up again. I could hear the electricity in the air, and am not ashamed to tell you that it scared me a little. I look over my shoulder out the front window and the street corner is aglow cycling between all the colours of the rainbow. But primarily a remarkable arcing white. I opened the front door to get a better look. Obviously a power line was down but this was one hell of a visual, and looking through the trees it wasn't the only section of the line on the ground arcing on that road. I called it in after a minute or so. Smoke was billowing up like you wouldn't believe.
Someone arrived 5-10 minutes after that, since everything was washed out I couldn't even make out the vehicle, another 15 minutes and they got the power shut off. So this was arcing for a good half hour. It was another 45 minutes before the wire cooled completedly, which makes little sense to me. With everything out I could watch this orange serpent crack and hiss in amazement. Power didn't come back on til 7:10am, and the road is still blocked off. From the duration I have to wonder if the road surface itself didn't get damaged from the heat.
I spent the morning in candlelight realizing that I need something better to read by...
I didn't hear any cars hit a pole or anything so not sure what brought down the line... I guess this round goes to you mtravellerh...
-MJ