The ground can be energized up to 33 feet (10 meters) away from a downed power line. If you're within that distance, keep your feet together and stay put until help arrives. If you must move, take baby steps keeping your feet together. If your feet are more than a couple of inches apart, you could be electrocuted. Do not approach any power line, even if you think it's dead, there are devices called reclosers which can re energize the line after a few seconds. Stay safe.
@@JohnDoe-es5xh yes, and most people struck by lightning are hit indirectly. Either from objects such as trees, structures, vehicles, or through the ground. In you home, you can get hit through electrical, phone lines, or plumbing. Amazingly, 90% of lightings strikes are survivable, usually with some impairment.
@bill riccio is right. It was looked into in North Carolina after back-to-back ice storms knocked out power for almost the whole state, a few years back. Basically, it was determined that the cost of burying everything would bankrupt the power companies.
This happened in front of my house once. I just threw on some rubber gloves and grabbed my rubber-tipped bolt cutters and snipped the live wire at each end. Saved the fire department a lot of work and my neighbors never had to have their power shut off while it was fixed. 10/10 would do again
cool story, maybe next time make it believable. You probably cut a telephone drop. if you tried cutting a 7.2KV primary phase with household tools you'd be dead.
@michaelcrowley7330 that's a common misconception, but the reality is that a downed live wire is no more dangerous than your average static shock. You can Google it if you don't believe me. If more people felt comfortable handling downed live wires, the fire departments and electric companies would have more time to tend to real emergencies.
