- Stay at least 20 feet away from downed wires and anything they are in contact with, including puddles of water and fences. Keep children and pets away, too.
- Be extremely cautious near metal fences, which conduct electricity, following a severe storm. Electric current will be the strongest where a downed wire is touching a metal fence, but even a connecting fence several backyards away can be energized and dangerous.
- Never cross the yellow barrier tape that may be around downed power lines.
- Never drive across downed wires. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside your car until help arrives.
- A live wire may spark and whip around as it looks for a ground. A ground is the earth or something touching the earth, like a fence or a tree. A live wire that has found its ground may lie silently, but it is still dangerous. Report it online or call us immediately at 800.477.4747.
- Cable or telephone lines can be energized if they come in contact with electrical lines. Contact with any energized line can be fatal.
Safety at home following a storm
- Stay out of flooded or damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets, a furnace or any electrically operated appliance that is energized. The water or moisture may conduct electricity. Contact may cause serious or fatal injury.
- If portable heaters or candles are being used, keep them well away from flammable materials. Properly vent portable heaters. Keep children and pets away.
- If you leave your home during the outage, double-check to make sure all heat-producing appliances, such as stoves, clothes dryers, irons and curling irons, are unplugged. This will minimize the danger of fire if power is restored while you are away.
- Know how to reset your circuit breaker. Turn off lamps and appliances in use when the power went out. Make sure your hands are dry and that you stand on a dry surface. Find the breaker switch(es) pointed toward the "OFF" position. Turn the switch(es) all the way to "OFF" and then to the "ON" position.
- If fuses, instead of circuit breakers, protect your home wiring, you may want to call in an electrician for assistance. There are many variations in the types and designs of fuse boxes. For safety's sake, make sure you have instructions for your specific type of fuse. Get extra, correct replacement fuses and store them near the fuse panel along with a flashlight.
- Protect sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, televisions and stereos, with surge suppressors. If you are home when a storm approaches, you may want to unplug sensitive electronic equipment.
- You may have a lot of tree debris in your yard following a storm. Wait until power line repairs are complete before you begin your storm cleanup. Energized power lines may be hidden in the brush.
- Use portable generators safely. Read our tips.
