Iguana causes power outage in South Florida, officials say

Report: Lizard hit transformer with tail, causing outage and killing iguana

LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. – Iguanas are an invasive species in Florida, causing problems for the state’s environment, but one South Florida city has felt the impacts of the reptiles more directly after one caused a large power outage.

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According to the city of Lake Worth Beach, an iguana caused a large-scale outage Wednesday because of an iguana at a substation on 6th Avenue.

The city did not say exactly how the lizard caused the outage. WPBF in West Palm Beach reports that the iguana hit a transformer with its tail, causing the outage and killing the reptile.

As of Wednesday evening, everyone is back on the grid, according to the utility company’s outage map.

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About the Author:

Thomas Mates is a digital storyteller for News 6 and ClickOrlando.com. He also produces the podcast Florida Foodie. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Journalism in 2010.

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