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A raccoon is being blamed for a power outage that affected approximately 1,500 customers in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The incident occurred late Sunday when the animal got into switch gear at a substation, according to Atlantic City Electric. The outage also affected multiple traffic lights, causing disruptions in the city's traffic flow.
Local police were deployed to direct traffic in the affected areas on Monday, as utility crews worked to restore power. Motorists were urged to use caution and treat intersections as four-way stops. The power outage was expected to be resolved for all customers by 10 p.m. Monday, according to a statement from the utility.
The timing of the outage was particularly inconvenient for some residents. One city resident, Renee Lash, lamented that her Thanksgiving groceries were ruined due to the power outage. "My Thanksgiving groceries (are ruined)," Lash wrote in an email to the Courier-Post on Monday morning. "Ability to get ready for work, ruined."
The power was fully restored around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, as announced by local police.