Storm Damage Electrical Repair
After a derecho or a straight-line wind event, the part that fails is usually the service mast and weatherhead where the utility drop lands on the house. That equipment belongs to you rather than the utility, and power stays off until it is repaired and inspected. We re-set the mast, replace damaged entrance cable and meter sockets, and get the job signed off so the utility can reconnect.
Damage we get called out for
- Service masts pulled loose or bent over by a fallen limb or by the drop itself
- Weatherheads and entrance cable with the jacket torn open
- Meter sockets pulled off the wall or burned at the lugs
- Panels and outlets that went under water in a flooded basement
- Circuits taken out by a nearby strike, where the damage is not obvious
- Detached garage and outbuilding feeds broken by wind or falling trees
Who owns what after a storm
The utility owns the line up to the connection point. The mast, the weatherhead, the entrance cable, the meter socket and everything beyond them belong to the property owner. That is why the utility will hang the drop but will not restore power until a licensed electrician repairs your side and it passes inspection.
Water in a panel or outlets
Electrical gear that has been submerged does not get dried out and reused. Breakers, panels and devices that have had water inside them are replaced, because corrosion on the contacts keeps working long after the outside looks fine. We document what came out and what went back, which is usually what an insurer asks for.
Frequently asked questions
The power line is hanging off my house. Who do I call first?
Call the utility to report it and stay well away from the wire. Once it is safe, an electrician has to repair the mast and the entrance before the drop can be reconnected.
How fast can a service mast be put back up?
Most masts are repaired the same day we reach them, and emergency calls are answered at any hour. After a widespread storm the limit is usually the inspection and the utility rather than the repair itself.
My basement flooded. Is the panel still usable?
If water reached the panel, it gets replaced. Breakers and busbars corrode internally after a soaking, and there is no way to certify one as safe afterwards.
Will my insurer want documentation of the repair?
Usually. We can give you a written description of the damage and of what was replaced, along with the permit and the inspection record.
Half the house lost power but the breakers look fine. Why?
That pattern normally means one leg of the incoming service is open, at the drop, the mast or the meter. It is a service-side fault, not a branch circuit, and it needs looking at straight away.
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