Electrical Safety
Outside
DANGER
After the Storm
Most, if not all of us, are aware of electrical hazards that may occur during
a severe weather event. Having worked fifteen years in the line clearance industry
for a local power company, I would like to share with you a few not so obvious
hazards that are present after the storm. First, I need to blabbermouth an introductory overview.
New England storms can be particularly nasty events due to it's geographical location and
topology. The southern jet stream provides warm moist air to the region while the
northern jet stream injects cold air (sometimes accompanied by moisture provided by the Great
Lakes). I do not proclaim expertise in meteorology or climatology, but when these two jet streams collide,
the results can be crushing!
It was my job to remove trees and/or tree limbs that had fallen on the electric company's power
distribution lines. I was on call twenty four hours a day, for fifteen years!
On countless occasions the phone rang in the early hours of the morning and off I went to help clean
up the mess Mother Nature had fun making.
Having been trained by the best in the business, and supplied with professional equipment,
I still prayed like hell to any god that would keep my butt out of a cemetery.
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