If a landslide damages a nearby power line or hydropower facility, keep well away, warn others without approaching, and report the danger from a safe location. Call your local emergency number for immediate danger, injury, or fire; report downed electrical equipment to the utility serving the area. A slide can keep moving, and a landslide-blocked stream can create a downstream flood hazard. Follow local alerts, evacuation orders, and site warnings.
What should you do if a power line is down after a landslide?
Assume every downed power line is energized. Do not touch it, approach it, drive over it, or touch anything—or anyone—in contact with it. Keep other people and pets away, and avoid water that may contain a fallen line. Do not try to inspect, move, or repair a damaged pole, transformer, or overhead or buried electrical equipment.
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- Call emergency services if there is immediate danger, a fire, an injury, or someone has contacted electrical equipment.
- Report the line to the local utility serving the location. There is no single national utility number; use an official local contact.
- If a line falls across your vehicle, stay inside and call for help. Follow current emergency responder instructions if an immediate fire changes the situation. Do not attempt a rescue that would bring you near the line.
Visible damage does not show whether electrical equipment is live or structurally stable. Landslide debris or damage to a foundation may have affected equipment beyond what can be seen safely. CDC guidance on downed power lines explains the danger and what to do if a line falls across a vehicle; Ready.gov’s landslide guidance advises staying clear of damaged utilities.
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Who should you call, and what should you report?
For immediate danger or injury, call your local emergency number. Report a downed line to the utility as well. USGS advises reporting landslide events to local authorities so the area can be evaluated. The correct utility and emergency-management contacts depend on the location; do not rely on sample-plan names or phone numbers as real contacts.
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From a safe place, give the best location you can and describe only what you can see without going closer. Useful details include:
- Visible damage to a line, pole, or other equipment;
- fresh ground or road cracks, bulges, or deformation;
- new water flowing from or pooling on the slope;
- whether people may be cut off; and
- a stream that appears blocked or water levels that seem to be changing.
Do not enter a closed area or seek a closer view to collect details. USGS landslide-preparedness guidance describes warning signs and recommends reporting landslide events to local authorities.
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Why the slide area and access routes may remain dangerous
Landslides can move at rates from inches per year to tens of miles per hour, according to the USGS Landslide Hazards Program. Some occur without warning; others develop over days, weeks, or longer. A slow-moving slide can change quickly. Fresh cracks, bulging or deformed ground and roads, new flowing or ponded water, sagging or taut utility lines, and broken utilities are warning signs—not an all-clear if they are absent.
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Could a landslide dam cause flooding downstream?
Yes. A landslide can block a stream and form a debris dam. Water may collect behind the blockage, which can later breach and send water downstream. The hazard is not necessarily confined to the visible slide area.
Do not approach the blockage or walk or drive along the channel to inspect it. Follow evacuation directions and move away from the channel as local authorities instruct. If a hydropower facility may also be affected, stay clear of the dam structures, powerhouse, intake, canals, tailrace, and project waters. Treat posted warnings, sirens, and changing water conditions seriously, and follow site instructions and emergency officials.
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission explains that public-safety measures at hydropower projects are selected for project-specific conditions and may include signs, lights, sirens, buoys, barriers, fences, safety nets, escape ladders, and guards. FERC’s hydropower public-safety information describes these measures. Do not assume that a warning system or particular feature is present at every facility.
How do dam and hydropower emergency notifications work?
Emergency action planning coordinates dam owners or operators with emergency responders; the public should not try to manage the response. If a facility appears damaged, report immediate danger to local emergency services. Contact the owner or operator too if an official contact is safely available, then follow alerts and instructions from authorities.
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FERC’s emergency action planning guidelines describe coordination between dam owners and responders. FEMA planning material includes an example notification flow that starts with the dam owner or operator and also involves local 911 and emergency management. Phone numbers and contact names in sample plans are examples, not contacts for your location; use official local information.
How to prepare for local emergency alerts
Check which alert channels local emergency management and the hydropower facility use, how to receive warnings for your area, and whether your home or usual routes fall within a local evacuation area. A battery-powered weather radio with SAME alerts may be useful in some places: FEMA identifies weather radio as one possible channel for severe-weather information and notifications to residents below dams. Coverage can be spotty, and the radio receives alerts only when left on. Verify local coverage and alert use; a radio does not replace calling emergency services, reporting a damaged line, or obeying an evacuation order. FEMA’s dam-safety handbook discusses weather radio as a notification channel.
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