The community of LaSalle is growing frustrated with continued power outages in the town.
Outages in certain areas in LaSalle continue to be an issue, with blips occurring often.
On Monday, July 18, some residents in the town between 8:11 p.m. and 8:14 p.m. experienced 14 blips in their electrical distribution system in their homes.
Residents are also frustrated as the continued outages have ruined some of their electronics and appliances from the continued loss of power.
Joe Barile, the General Manager of Essex Powerlines, says the company recognizes the continued issues but wants to inform the community that the most common reason for the outages is bad weather.
However, even on a sunny day, something as simple as a balloon hitting an electrical line can cause a momentary outage.
He says he understands the frustrations in the blips, but that they are preferable over a complete loss of power.
"The first thing to remember is that a blip, or a momentary outage, is actually a protection mechanism to prevent a larger or longer outages from occurring. A blip occurs because there is a fault on the line delivering the electricity."
He says there are a number of reasons that blips or outages may occur, even if it's a nice day outside.
"Someone has dug into our underground service, or someone or something has disrupted our overhead service," Barile continued. "And it can range from a motor vehicle accident, balloons, I've seen dump trucks lift their bucket and come into contact with our lines."
He suggests that customers who are having issues with their electronics and appliances following the outages should consider surge protectors.
"Different electronics and appliances vary in terms of their tolerance of the on/off. My best advice to customers is to install surge protectors at the panel. If you install a surge protector at the panel, that essentially protects the whole house," he said.
Barile says that Essex Powerlines is aware when the blips and outages occur, however he still recommends that residents call the company to report issues.