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In only two hours on the afternoon of August 3rd, more than 1000 bolts of lightning struck Seattle. By the time a second storm, 2 days later, had finished more than 500 transformers needed to be replaced. Recognizing the gravity of this impact to City Light’s inventory, the Transformer Shop went on a 24 hour, around-the-clock schedule to inspect, repair and test the transformers that were coming in at an unprecedented rate. Even before his manager could contact him Robert Smart began to pull his crew together. With the help of two members from another crew, they turned out one third of a typical year’s transformers in less than two weeks. At no point was City Light crews waiting for the transformers they needed to restore power to our customers. The critical nature of this work can not be overstressed. A transformer failure when energized can be extremely hazardous. By all accounts, City Light enjoys the lowest transformer failure rate of any utility anywhere due the excellent work and high standards of this outstanding team!
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