Balloons Put Zap On Transformer, Cause Hudson County Power Outage

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A recent power outage in Hudson County demonstrated why many public safety experts warn people to watch where they release mylar balloons.

On Sunday, the Bayonne Office of Emergency Management reported that a transformer issue on East 12th Street was traced to the “improper release” of several mylar balloons. In turn, the transformer issue caused a power outage in the nearby area, authorities said.

In May, PSE&G spokespeople issued an annual warning about the dangers of mylar balloons in advance of school graduation season.

According to PSE&G:

"The metallic coating on mylar balloons conducts electricity. Because of this, when a mylar balloon touches a power line or floats into substation equipment it can cause a short circuit. This contact can lead to downed wires, power outages, fires and possible injuries."

• See related article: Don't Let Mylar Balloons Put Zap On Power Lines (VIDEOS)

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File Photo: (not the balloons in above article) YouTube / pgevideo