Please Help!

Sue the "modern" breaker can be frustrating on at least two counts: 1) Even when it appears to be on it might still be off. Believe it or not, Even if you flip it to OFF then back ON, it might remain off 'til you do it again but more forcefully

2) Immediately after an overload that switches it off, heating of its interior also may prevent you from restoring power and you won't be able to do so for some time til it's cooled down

thanks! I'll give it a try! :-)

I consider the possiblilty the power went off during the storm, and has yet to be restored. In that case, flipping breakers won't help, and be very careful how you determine there is, or is not power to the service head.

Are you saying that you have power in some sections of the house but not others and not others?

- If these are outside circuits (like your dusk to dawn light) you may have tripped the GFI circuit. Look for your GFI outlet and press the reset button.
- If all the dead outlets are on one circuit breaker, it could be a bad circuit breaker. You can look up how to fix it on Youtube.
- If all the dead outlets and circuits are on several breakers, but they all are on the same side of the breaker panel, you likely have lost one phase of your incoming house power. You will need to power company to fix that.

thanks for all the help! I'm overwhelmed by the wonderful people here! I'm pretty sure that they're all on one breaker so I think it may be that it needs replacing. I've looked everywhere for a red button with no luck. I really hate to but I think I'll call an electrician - better safe than sorry and I'm afraid of electricity...

I just thought that the purpose of a circuit breaker was to trip and cut the power BEFORE any damage could be done - didn't know it would have to give its life to do it but I'm thankful there wasn't a fire or electronic equipment damage or something worse :-)...

If the fault is a small one they just trip, but a big short circuit can knock a breaker out or make it malfunction afterwards.

It is remarkable isn't it how many of us have some background in this sort of thing

Actually Sue it shouldn't

Actually, dahileman, a nearby lightning strike, especially if it hit a power line, can knock out all kinds of electrical equipment nearby or even some distance away, including domestic circuit breakers, which are (necessarily) somewhat sensitive. The OP specifically mentioned a storm. Also a very severe short circuit can damage a breaker as it trips. An equally possible alternative cause is that the breaker is fine, and is doing its job, and that a surge caused by a lightning strike has caused damage to power or ground wiring or connected equipment in the "lake house" mentioned, which will likely be at the end of a spur from the house. Whatever the reason, an electrician will have to be called in.

Yea Con, having mayhap misunderstood the context I readily concede

Brother i think its a serious issue of load bearing may be. Call an electrician ASAP before your generator simply conks off.