ATC

Avoid downed power lines

Spring weather often brings tornados and severe storms. While transmission lines can withstand severe weather, the potential exists for storm damage, including downed power lines. Here are a few safety tips if you should encounter a downed power line.

• If you see a downed line, always assume it is live. You cannot tell if it is energized just by looking at it.
• Move away from it and anything touching it with shuffling, small steps. Keep your feet together and on the ground at all times to minimize the potential for a shock.
• Do not attempt to move a downed power line or anything else in contact with it by using an object such as a broom or stick.
• Do not touch or step in water near where a downed power line is located.