ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – We are in the middle of an active weather pattern here in the Twin Tiers. Two Wind Advisory’s have been posted in one week. The first being on Friday and the second being Sunday, just two days later. With gusts over 50 miles per hour and some locations even clocking 60 miles per hour on Friday, power outages mounted up across the Twin Tiers. Sunday night another Wind Advisory goes into effect for portions of the Twin Tiers that once again could see wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour which could lead to even more outages.

Thanks to strong winds, trees commonly fall on power lines and take them down. Many times they fall across roadways. It is important to remember some downed power line safety during these moments. First and foremost never ever touch a downed power line. Always assume that downed power lines are energized and dangerous. You usually cannot tell if a wire is live or not so assume that it is.

Second, on this note, never attempt to move a power line with any item. If laying across a road do not use a branch to move them. Even using items that are not typically considered conductive could still lead to serious injury. There is an immense amount of electricity running through these wires. It is recommended to remain 30 feet from any downed power line. That is the minimum distance that is considered safe. It is best just to turn around wherever you are and find another route to take. Be sure to report these downed power lines to your utility company immediately so they can take care of them and prevent any injuries from happening to people who find these lines after you.