Dodging a Downed Wire After the Windstorm in Maine

Last night, Mother Nature decided to throw a tantrum in Lewiston, but I am also pretty sure she dragged the whole of Maine into it too. I'm talking about the wind. It was ferocious and loud throughout most of the night.

Imagine my surprise this morning when I discovered a new addition laying across my road. A downed wire, smack dab in the middle, preventing me from leaving my driveway.

I had to pull off some impressive lawn driving skills just to escape and get to work.

As you can see by the picture below, the wire was laying across the entire road.

Our power was still on, but I wasn't about to start playing guessing games with that wire. I am not going to risk a shocking encounter with electricity again.

I've been there before. It was the infamous Christmas candle incident of '89. You know, the one where my finger found itself inside of the electric candle and got a jolt that could wake the dead? Ever since then, I've been treating electricity like it's the boss of me. I'm totally okay with that.

So what do you do if you encounter a downed line near your home in Maine?

According to Central Maine Power, 

If you see a downed power line in Maine, you should immediately call 911 and Central Maine Power (CMP) at (800) 696-1000.You should always assume a downed power line is live and stay away from it. Even lines that look dead can be deadly. You should also be careful if a downed power line is touching a vehicle. If one touches your vehicle while you're in the car, stay inside it if it's safe to do so until crews arrive.

I did call CMP and report the downed line, and they told me that if the power line doesn't belong to their services, they would find the appropriate carrier to call to remove the line.

In addition, if a downed line touches your vehicle while you're inside, remain calm and call the necessary people.

No matter what, be cautious and do not touch any lines even if it looks cut, because it could be connected in another area.