Question:

If I tree limb knocks down the power line to my house, what should I do?

Answer:

The first concern is your safety and those around you.  Consumers Energy says “stay at least 25 feet away from a downed wire.”  They add “steer clear of water, trees, debris and fences” nearby and contact them as soon as possible (800-477-5050).  Carl Evanson, A Plus Electric’s master electrician, adds another note of caution “a downed wire can electrify areas much farther away than you’d guess as electricity disburses in surprising ways. The results can be tragic.”

Consumers Energy is responsible to repair a downed wire up to the point where it touches your house.  If any part of the lead-in to your house is damaged, you will need to call an electrician.   That includes the mast, as in this photo.

Below is a photo of a mast on the ground after it was ripped from the house by a limb falling across the line to the pole.

Consumers says falling limbs, broken or leaning trees are the top causes of power outages.  A close second are weather related issues including wind, rain, lightning, snow and ice.

Click here to report an outage to Consumers Energy.  For a map that illustrates the location of outages and measures how widespread they are, click here. To be notified by text or email about outages, you can sign up through this page, but you need to create a sign in and password, if you don’t already have one.