Downed Power Lines

A power line on the ground can kill you without you ever touching it. It may not spark, buzz or move, and it can be re-energized automatically at any moment. Treat every downed or low-hanging wire as live and deadly, stay far away, and call 911 and the utility.

• Construction
• Utilities
• Landscaping
• Home

Why downed lines are so dangerous

• They look harmless. A line can be fully energized without sparking or humming.
• They can re-energize. Utility systems often try to restore power automatically several times after a fault. A line that seems dead can come back to life.
• The ground becomes energized. Electricity spreads out through the ground in rings around the point of contact. Voltage is highest near the wire and drops off with distance.
• Other things become energized. Fences, guardrails, puddles, wet ground, trees, vehicles and equipment touching the line can all carry current.
• Backfeed. Improperly connected generators can send power back into lines that the utility thinks are dead. See Power Outages & Generators.

Step potential and touch potential

Because voltage drops off with distance from the wire, your two feet can be standing at different voltages. Current flows up one leg and down the other. This is called step potential, and it can knock you down, which puts more of your body in contact with the energized ground. Touch potential is when you touch something energized, such as a vehicle or fence, while standing on the ground at a different voltage.

If you see a downed line

1. Stay back at least 35 feet (about the length of a school bus) from the line and anything it’s touching. Farther is better.
2. Call 911 and the electric utility. Give the exact location and say whether anything is on fire or anyone is hurt.
3. Keep others away. Warn people and drivers, but don’t go closer to do it. Keep children and pets away.
4. Don’t drive over it or through water near it, and don’t try to move it with anything, even a wooden stick or a broom.
5. Wait for the utility to confirm the line is de-energized and grounded.

If you feel tingling or you’re close to a line

A tingling feeling in your feet means the ground is energized. Move away with your feet together and touching:

• Shuffle: take tiny steps without lifting your feet off the ground or separating them, or
• Hop: hop with both feet together (riskier if you could fall).

Keep going until you’re at least 35 feet away. Don’t run or take normal steps.

If a line falls on your vehicle or equipment

1. Stay inside. You’re safest in the cab as long as you don’t touch the ground and the vehicle at the same time.
2. Call 911 and warn everyone to stay away. People rushing to help are often the ones killed.
3. If you can, drive away from the line slowly, without getting out, and only if it’s safe to do so.
4. Wait for the utility to say it’s safe to get out.

Only if you must get out (fire or other immediate danger)

1. Remove loose clothing that could touch the vehicle and ground.
2. Open the door without touching the metal frame if you can.
3. Jump clear with your feet together, so you never touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
4. Land with feet together and keep your balance. Don’t touch the vehicle again.
5. Shuffle or hop away at least 35 feet. Never go back to the vehicle until the utility says it’s safe.

After storms

• Assume all fallen wires are live, including telephone and cable lines, which may be touching power lines.
• Watch for wires hidden in fallen trees, debris and standing water.
• Don’t cut or move trees or limbs touching lines. Only utility crews or qualified line-clearance tree workers should.
• Don’t walk or drive through flooded areas where lines may be down.
• If your service drop (the line to your house) is down, stay away and call the utility.

For work crews

• Stop work and secure the area if a line comes down near your site. Set up barricades only at a safe distance.
• Only qualified electrical workers trained for utility work may approach or handle downed conductors, and only after they are de-energized and grounded.
• Plan ahead for equipment near lines: use spotters, know minimum approach distances, and have an emergency plan for line contact. See Overhead Power Lines.
• Report any line contact or near miss, even if no one was hurt.

Last updated: October 2, 2026