`The breakers to my house are located next to my rear deck in a storage room. During last night’s rains caused by the tropical storm (I live in Charleston, SC) two of the breakers broke the circuits in my house. How could that happen? I assume rain got into it and shorted two wires, but how could the water enter the breakers. The panel of breakers are attached on the outside by an enclosed box.
Are they GFCI breakers? I’ve had rain trip these. They can be really touchy.
No. Not the GFCI breaker. That tripped on me constantly. Finally it died and I said “Good riddance.” I can replace it, but it was such a hassle. After any rain it would trip and I would have to go down at 5AM to reset it.
Are you saying rain/moisture actually got to the breaker box? Or are you assuming humidity/vapor got in to wreak 'avoc?
Or that moisture elsewhere might have tripped fussy breakers?
ETA: A breaker that trips continuously is not the problem.
I’ve had breakers trip due to lightning.
For some reason, I heard Willie Nelson singing the thread title…
I do not know. All I know is that two breakers tripped
Okay, well, I’d assume you’d notice rain or moisture in, on or around the breaker box.
Unless they are really worn out, breakers don’t pop for no reason. Double that for GFCI. Putting in a non-GFCI or larger-capacity breaker to stop the “pops” is like plugging your nose so you won’t smell smoke.
Short of tracing out every line and inspecting every wall box for moisture and other problems, there aren’t many good ways to diagnose and fix this kind of problem. An experienced electrician often has a few tools and tricks to speed the process.
Do you have wiring in the attic (for fans or lights)? Maybe a squirrel has chewed a wire or two. We had that once.
I had a problem a few months back where, during a very heavy rain, water leaked in from outside around the cable going to the breaker panel.
The lights dimmed and flickered then went out. When I went down to the basement, it was full of smoke, the panel door had a burned spot, and the breakers were melted. I called 911.
It turned out that there had been a fire in the panel and we were lucky that it was contained in the box. Both panels (I’m in a duplex) had to be replaced as well as all of the wiring going to the second floor.
The hole where the cable entered into the building wasn’t sealed properly. I guess the original grout or whatever had deteriorated. It’s now sealed properly.
Make sure that isn’t what’s happening to you.
i think you nailed the problem: the grout has deteriorated.
I’m not following the phrasing. They tripped or burned out? What do they actually power? Did they reset? I’ve had A/C compressors vapor-lock and stall the motor if power cycles too fast like in a power dip. You may have taken an indirect lightning strike surge. Did an outside outlet get wet?
What did it feed that you had to reset it at that time? Anything near water is now unsafe as that is usually where they are required. Like the old movies, toaster in the hot tub or radio in the bath tub = funeral plans activated.
The evidence all around is that a lot of people have loose wiring in the attic. 
You need to have an electrician check it out. If you have had moisture getting into the panel you may have buss bar corrosion, which is a fire hazard.
The breakers tripped. One fed half the kitchen and the other fed the upstairs bathroom. When the GFCI trips it affects the usual that GFCI protect: bathroom and refrigerator.
In the thunderstorm I see them
Breakers shorting in the rain.
When the lights had all departed
I knew we’d never see again.
My rain-breaker problem was caused by an external outlet that I didn’t know was on the same circuit–the kind of outlet you plug your weed whacker in to. The weatherproof housing was showing age, and when strong winds combined with rain, water could get into the box. Give a look around to see if you have any outdoor outlets you didn’t know were there (e.g. behind a bush)
You have a roof leak … check the rubber flange where the electrical pipe goes through the roof … if you’re comfortable taking the inner cover off the breaker box, I think you’ll be able to easily see if there is water damage. If there is water damage, call an electrician.
Several places moisture can get into the panel (doesn’t need to be water flowing per se, just enough moisture to begin corroding components):
-If you have a through the roof mast - the flange at the roof line is leaking either into the house proper, or into the channel over the panel;
-At the weatherhead (the piece at the top of your service cable outside, where the overhead cable from the pole connects to your service) - the drip loop (a loop of the service cable) is not deep enough and water tracks into the insulation.
-Also at the weatherhead, if not properly sealed hard windblown rain can be forced inside and track down the insulation.
-At the top of the meter socket where the service cable enters the socket - the putty dries up and leaks, allowing water to dribble in, pools in the bottom of the socket and drips down the service cable insulation into the panel.
-the flanges between the meter socket and panel may be rotted or loose
-The service entrance into the house, the putty and or flange is dried/rotted and water leaks in.
A one time breaker trip during a bad storm is probably not an issue, but if it happens again, call an electrician.
For peace of mind now, call an electrician and have him check and reseal all leak points, verify no corrosion in the panels and loop check the circuits in the house.
I’ve heard stories like, “water is pouring in and its pouring out of the breaker box and into my basement!”
You need all power cut. You need an electrician. 1) Don’t go anywhere near it while the power is on. 2) Don’t go anywhere near it while anything in/near/around it is wet.