Severe Weather and Power Outages: Everything You Need to Know About Current Conditions

Your complete guide to Severe Weather and Power Outages: Everything You Need to Know About Current Conditions, including in-depth facts.

Heavy rainfall transforms streets and drainage culverts into direct electrocution threats. Downed power line hazards remain the leading cause of preventable civilian deaths in the immediate aftermath of severe summer squalls. A line does not need to spark, hum, or smoke to carry deadly current.

Pavement and saturated turf conduct charge outward from the point of contact in expanding rings of voltage. Stepping near a live wire exposes a person to what electrical engineers call "step potential", a voltage difference between your feet that drives fatal current through your torso. Emergency personnel urge the public to stay at least 35 feet away from any sagging or grounded utility wire.

Floodwater electrical risks compound when basements or driveways flood above electrical wall outlets. Entering standing water that touches an active breaker panel or an energized appliance motor can instantly cause cardiac arrest. If water rises near your basement electrical panels, contact your local utility to kill service at the street before stepping into the room.