During a storm, weather conditions caused damage to overhead electrical and telephone lines as well as uprooting some trees causing damage to the buried cables nearby. A utility pole and trees were blocking traffic and water was spraying from a water main. What should I do?

This instance would be classified as an “emergency” situation. Florida Statute 556 defines an emergency as “any condition constituting a clear and present danger to life or property….” The very first recourse would be to notify 9-1-1. This should always be the first action taken during any emergency situation. As a member operator, excavation for repairs should begin immediately, without contacting Sunshine State One-Call. Call Sunshine should be contacted at the earliest possible time after the excavation and repairs have been completed so that an accurate record can be maintained that there were excavations in the area. This will instigate notification to all other utilities in the emergency location that were unavailable to cooperate in the emergency effort so that their utilities can be checked for damage.