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?

Question

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?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

It depends (in my country at least). During typhoon season, if a big one is expected, electricity does get shut down hours before the typhoon hits and can last until it passes. More than flooding, strong winds are a problem, and with electricity transmitted through powerlines, trees and toppled electrical poles (the old wooden ones) can pose a serious problem.