Snakes cause ‘unprecedented’ power outages for Tennessee neighborhoods

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — In the last couple of days, a neighborhood in Franklin has experienced several power outages, but they haven’t been caused by trees or equipment failure.

Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) said snakes are causing the outages.

For the last eight days, the Henpeck Substation in Franklin has experienced four power outages caused by snakes.

“One of the managers I have talked to said he has been on the job for 20 years and probably had two [snakes] that he can remember, and we’ve had four in eight days,” MTE Communications and Marketing Director Larry Rose explained.

Rose told News 2 the snakes have been climbing structures supporting transformers and switches.

He said they are traveling from one energized wire to another, getting past wildlife guards, and causing outages to nearby neighborhoods.

An MTE employee said they primarily see nonvenomous gray rat snakes , known for their climbing ability.

“We’ve been putting down three different snake repellants that so far have not been effective,” Rose said. “We have wildlife guards on them to prevent birds, to prevent other animals from reaching the energized lines.”

The cause of the snakes collecting at the Henpeck Substation is still unknown.

MTE sent an email on Friday to customers near the substation, explaining the scenario and what they are doing to prevent the snakes.

The email called the outages “unprecedented.”

“We are in the process of reaching out to licensed wildlife control experts and even the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to see if they might have some suggestions about it,” Rose said.

Rose added that they are doing everything possible to eliminate snakes and maintain power in nearby neighborhoods, but for now, he said they sprinkle the snake repellant daily, check the power lines, and throw any snakes in the area back into the woods.

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