Treat any downed power line on your property as energized and lethal. You must stay at least 35 feet away, keep children and pets back, and don’t touch the wire or anything it contacts (fences, ladders, wet grass, puddles, trees, or vehicles). Call 911 immediately and report the exact location plus any arcing, sparking, smoke, or injuries, then notify your utility. If a line hits your car, stay inside and wait for clearance. Next, you’ll learn exact distance and vehicle rules.
What Should You Do Immediately Near a Downed Power Line?
Even if a downed power line looks quiet, treat it as energized and immediately create distance: stop where you are, keep others (especially kids and pets) back, and avoid touching the line or anything it may be energizing (trees, fences, vehicles, puddles, or metal objects). Don’t rely on the absence of arcing, sparks, smoke, or buzzing; circuits may stay live, and automatic reclosers can re-energize without warning. Electricity seeks ground, so the area can remain lethal even when the conductor appears still. Stay at least 35 feet away.
Call 911 immediately and report “downed power line with possible energization.” Then notify the utility (or ask the dispatcher to contact them). If a line is on a vehicle, tell occupants to stay inside with windows closed; have them honk and warn others away. Don’t attempt rescues by touching the person, line, or using poles or tools. Wait for utility/first-responder clearance.
How Far Away Should You Stay From a Downed Power Line?
For work activities, keep 10 feet from neighborhood lines and from any line-contacted object; arc-over can exceed 10 feet at higher voltages. Keep tools, ladders, poles, and equipment outside that envelope; for cranes near ≤350 kV, maintain 20 feet minimum. If you’re a bystander and see a downed line, keep at least 30 feet away.
What Can Become Energized by a Downed Power Line (and What Not to Touch)?
Keeping your distance is only half the control; you also have to assume a downed line can energize anything it touches—or anything that provides a conductive path nearby. Even a line that looks quiet can be still energized. Don’t touch metal fences (especially chain-link), gates, culverts, ladders, aluminum siding, or wind-blown metal roofs/sheds; they can carry fault current well beyond the contact point. Treat water as a conductor: puddles, wet grass, flooded soil, and water pipes can transmit voltage. Don’t touch trees, bushes, limbs, or debris; foliage can conduct when wet and can conceal energized wire ends or submerged conductors. Avoid buildings, porches, and structures near the line; contact or proximity can energize surfaces. Stay off manhole castings and pavement with rebar; embedded metal can become live. Assume telecom/CATV/fiber drops are energized if entangled. The ground itself can be energized up to 35 feet, with dangerous step voltage gradients.
What Should You Do If a Downed Power Line Hits Your Car?
If a downed power line lands on your car, treat the vehicle and everything around it as energized until the utility confirms de-energization. Stay inside: the car’s metal body acts as a Faraday cage, and the tires reduce ground-current pathways. Don’t assume it’s safe because there are no sparks. Keep your hands off door frames and exterior metal. Warn others by honking and shouting for them to stay back at least 10 meters (about a school-bus length). If the car can move without contacting or driving over the line, drive away to a clear area and stop at least 10 meters from the hazard. If you can’t drive away, call 911 and your local utility and wait for a worker to confirm it’s safe to exit. Exit only for fire or smoke. For emergency egress, remove loose items, open the door, stand on the sill, cross your arms, and jump clear with feet together—never touch car and ground simultaneously. Land with knees bent. Then shuffle with feet together 30 feet on dry ground, 60 on wet.
Who Should You Call About a Downed Power Line, and What Should You Report to 911?
Once you’ve created distance and warned bystanders, make the call sequence unambiguous: dial 911 first for any downed power line, even when no one appears injured, because responders and the utility must treat every line as energized until confirmed de-energized. Stay 30–100 feet back while you call, and keep others at least 30 feet away. Electricity can travel through the ground, trees, and other objects, so never try to move the wire or anything it’s touching and stay at least 30 feet away. Use TTY/TDD relay if needed. Tell the operator the exact address, street name, house number, nearest cross street, and the direction of travel (N/E/S/W). Add a pole number if you can read it without approaching, and state whether it’s on your front, side, or rear property. Report sparking, arcing, smoke, fire, wet grass or puddles, and any contact with a person, animal, vehicle, fence, or tree. Give a call-back number. After 911, contact your utility emergency line (e.g., NIPSCO 1-800-464-7726, PG&E 1-800-743-5000, SCE 800-611-1911).
Frequently Asked Questions
Will My Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Damage From a Downed Power Line?
Your homeowner’s insurance may cover damage from a downed power line, but only if a covered peril caused it and the loss occurred on your property. You’ll typically get dwelling coverage for damaged wiring/structure and personal property coverage for electronics or appliances, subject to limits and deductibles. If faulty/old wiring or off-property utility failure drove the surge, coverage often won’t apply. An equipment-breakdown endorsement broadens protection.
How Long Does It Typically Take the Utility to Remove a Downed Line?
Utilities typically remove or make a downed line safe within hours, but timing ranges from minutes to 1–3 days. You’ll often see 1–6 hours for localized repairs, 6–24 hours for a single pole or minor storm damage, and 1–3 days after severe weather or multiple failures. You reduce risk by reporting immediately and keeping clear. Accessibility, tree debris, and crew availability drive delays.
Can I Safely Use a Generator While a Downed Power Line Is Nearby?
No—you shouldn’t run a generator while a downed power line is nearby. You must assume the line’s energized; generator use can create lethal backfeed or contact hazards. Don’t connect any generator to home wiring without a UL-listed transfer switch installed by a qualified electrician. If you must use power, plug appliances directly into the generator with outdoor-rated cords, and keep it 20+ feet away.
What Should I Do With Spoiled Food After an Outage From Downed Lines?
Bag spoiled food immediately, seal it, and move it outside to a secured trash bin to prevent pests and cross-contamination. You can’t “smell-test” safety; discard perishables held >40°F for 4+ hours, any food ≥50°F, and thawed freezer items >41°F for 2+ hours. Keep it away from children and pets, clean shelves with hot soapy water, then sanitize (1 Tbsp bleach/gal).
How Can I Document Damage Safely for Claims Without Approaching the Line?
Document damage from ≥10 m away: shoot wide-angle photos/video showing the line’s location relative to structures, then use zoom for close-ups. Enable date/time stamps. Scan for standing water, unstable debris, or other hazards; if present, evacuate and don’t document. Don’t touch equipment or water. Call the utility and wait for clearance. Build an itemized inventory with values, receipts, pre-loss photos, and log all insurer contacts.
