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Southampton Village Police direct traffic after power outtage on the Fourth of July. GREG WEHNER
Southampton Village Police direct traffic after power outtage on the Fourth of July. GREG WEHNER
Updated power outtage map. COURTESY PSEG
Southampton Village Police direct traffic after power outtage on the Fourth of July. GREG WEHNER
Map of power outtage
A loose mylar balloon caused more than 1,000 businesses and homes to lose power in Southampton Village on the Fourth of July.
Shortly after noon, just as the village’s holiday parade was ending, the stray helium-filled balloon became caught in electric lines on Jobs Lane, and the metallic balloon short-circuited the wires and caused a nearby transformer to blow, according to Southampton Village Police Lieutenant Chris Wetter.
The power outage affected customers throughout a large section of the village, from Hill Street to Southampton Hospital, on Tuesday, although the hospital itself was not affected by the outage.
Traffic lights throughout the village went dark, including the signal at the North Sea Road intersection with Windmill Lane, so Village Police officers directed vehicles until power was restored at about 3 p.m.
