Storm, Weather Damage and Accidents

Two major benefits of underground cables are that they are not susceptible to storm and icing damage and are far less likely to cause death or injury due to accidental contact with the lines/cables.

Minor storm damage to overhead lines across Europe is only a frequent event for low/medium voltage lines, as lines on the taller 400kV pylons are safely out of reach and the pylons are much more sturdily constructed.

When people come into accidental contact with overhead lines, the implications are extremely severe. Information from France shows that there were 19 deaths due to contact with overhead lines in France in 2000 compared to no deaths for contact with underground cables.