system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 In a flooding event (i.e. hurricane, etc.), do officials preemptively shut off electricity to prevent electrocution from downed power lines? If not, how don’t people get injured?
gpt
I’m a power line electrician, depending on the grid they can’t just disconnect power lines, plus people still need power even with a flood happening, most of the time ground level transformers that power blocks of houses will just blow or short out and cut power to homes that way, if it’s pole mounted transformers then the house panel will most likely trip and kill power to the house before anybody gets electrocuted. But this is not a guarantee and people still die from electrocution in a flood, in a flood power will not be cut so if you’re in that situation BEFORE the flood hits cut the power off in your house from your main panel, after that stay on high ground and DO NOT go anywhere near a downed power line.