Here’s something that could save your life one day: a downed power line lying on the ground is still actively spreading electricity through the earth around it — even if it’s not sparking, not humming, and looks totally dead.
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, the ground around a downed power line can be energized up to 35 feet away. That’s longer than a school bus. And you don’t have to touch the wire at all to get hurt.
Here’s why. When electricity hits the ground, it spreads outward in rings — kind of like ripples when you drop something in water. Each ring is at a different voltage level. The closer to the wire, the higher the voltage. As you move out, it drops. That difference between rings is what gets you. The University of Illinois Extension explains that if you step from one ring to another, the voltage difference travels up one leg and down the other — straight through your body. That’s called step potential, and it can electrocute you.
So the instinct to just run? It’ll kill you. Every normal stride you take, you’re landing one foot in a higher-voltage ring and one foot in a lower-voltage ring. Your body becomes the path.
The right move is the shuffle. Keep both feet together and touching the ground at all times. Slide one foot forward just a few inches, then bring the other foot up to meet it. Repeat. It looks ridiculous. It takes forever. Do it anyway. By keeping your feet together and close, you’re staying within the same voltage ring as you move — so there’s no difference for electricity to travel through. Some sources also recommend shuffling out with small hops keeping both feet together if the ground is uneven — the key is never letting one foot be farther from the wire than the other.
And as OSHA warns, don’t assume a fallen line is safe just because it looks quiet. Circuits don’t always shut off when a power line hits the ground. Some systems called reloaders will actually try to restore power automatically after an interruption — meaning a line that seems dead can suddenly go live again.
So if you ever see a downed line:
— Don’t walk toward it. Don’t drive over it.
— If you’re already close, shuffle away with both feet together, never lifting them fully off the ground.
— Get at least 35 feet back.
— Call 911.
— Keep other people away.
That’s it. Weird shuffle, call 911, stay back. Remember those three things and you’re ahead of most people.