system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What’s actually happening when power goes out and comes back on after a few seconds during a storm?
gpt
The most common occurrence would be a branch falling on a power line and creating a temporary fault. This fault will cause a high level current to run through the circuit which if left unattended could damage transformers and the conductors themselves. For this reason protective relays are placed in the circuit. Relays sense this high level current and send a trip signal to the breaker which isolates the fault from the rest of the system. If you are downstream from this breaker you will lose power in your home. Now, most faults in a storm are temporary so once a breaker is tripped this also starts a timer. Once the timer is complete the breaker will attempt to re-close. If the fault is gone and the relay does not sense the high level current anymore the circuit is automatically returned to energized state and you have power again in your home!