Power Line Safety

Downed Power Lines

When out driving or walking, be especially alert for downed power lines after storms or high winds.

Trees knocked over by wind with downed power lines

Be especially alert for downed power lines after storms or high winds.

Shock from downed power lines can injure or kill you, even if the line does not spark or hum. If you see a downed power line, keep your distance. Be especially careful if it has been raining and there is water on the ground. Do not get close to anything that is touching the line, like a tree, fence, or vehicle. Immediately call 911 and Xcel Energy to report the line.

Vehicle/Power Line Incidents

If a power line falls on or near your vehicle, take these steps:Power line wire touching car with flash

  • Warn other people to stay away. Call out if you can safely open a window, or wave them away with hand gestures. If you have a working mobile phone, call 911 or Xcel Energy for help. If you don’t have a working phone, call out to a passer-by and ask them to make the call.
  • If possible, stay in the car until rescue workers arrive. You are safe from electric shock inside the car.
  • If you must leave the car because of fire or other danger, do not step out of the car. If you touch the car and the ground at the same time, you will be shocked. Instead, jump away from the car so that no part of you touches the car and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together, then shuffle away, keeping both feet on the ground.
  • Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground. If you do, you will become a path for electricity and could be severely injured or killed.

Even after you’ve successfully jumped from a car with a power line on or near it, the danger may not be over. Electricity can spread out through the ground in a circle from any downed line. The voltage drops as you move away from the point of contact. If one part of your body touches a high-voltage zone while another part touches a low-voltage zone, the current can flow through you, giving you a potentially deadly shock. That’s why you should shuffle away from the line, keeping your feet close together.