Severe weather can happen any time of year. Over the past several years, we’ve seen increasingly extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall, high winds and even tornadoes, during the spring and summer months. These weather events can bring down trees and damage our electric infrastructure, creating hazardous conditions and power outages.
After a storm, please follow these safety tips to help you and your family stay safe, especially around down power lines.
Electric power safety tips:
- Look up to know what’s down. Spotting a downed power line isn’t always easy. Wires can be hidden between trees and tree branches or in tall weeds or grass. They can also be mistaken for sticks. After a storm, make sure to look up at nearby poles to see if a line has fallen to the ground.
- Assume all downed lines are energized. Downed power lines can still be energized even if they don’t spark, smoke or buzz. A downed wire can still deliver a deadly shock and can energize the ground and objects around it.
- Stay a school bus length away. If you do see a downed power line, stay at least 25 feet away from it – that’s about the length of a school bus. Keep children and pets away as well. Remember to also stay away from anything near the line, including fences, garages, vehicles garbage cans, gutters and swing sets, to name just a few examples.
- Call it in. If you see a downed power line, stay out of harm’s way and call 9-1-1 or contact DTE at 800.477.4747 to report it. Don’t assume someone else has done so already. By reporting the issue promptly, you’ll help DTE identify a potential public safety hazard quickly so we can prioritize our response.
- Never cross yellow caution tape. Caution tape shows that a hazardous situation exists. When DTE tapes off an area with yellow caution tape, it means there is hazard within that area. It could be anything from a downed power line to a low-hanging line or a broken pole. It has been placed for your safety, warning you to stay away from the area.
Visit dteenergy.com/wiresafety for more info about how to be safe around electricity.