Man electrocuted in Cypress after tree branch hits power line

A 45-year-old man died in Cypress after a tree branch hit a power line while he was cutting a tree near a clubhouse in the 13500 block of Cahill Lane, close to Grant and Spring Cypress Roads. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies responded to the scene, and Constable Mark Herman said the branch made contact with the line before the man was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.

Precinct 4 classified the case as an electrical incident tied to tree cutting in an area where subdivisions, private lots and overhead utility lines sit close together.

Trees that grow close to CenterPoint Energy's electrical poles and lines are trimmed by a professional tree-trimming company under contract with the utility, and its crews follow American National Standards Institute A300 pruning standards. Residents should not try to remove a tree limb or other object from a power line, and electricity can travel through wet limbs. If branches are threatening a line, call 713-207-2222 to reach CenterPoint's forestry team.

Tree-care workers have one of America's most dangerous jobs, and injuries often increase after storms, when unqualified landscapers with chainsaws may offer services, the Texas Department of Insurance says. You do not have to touch a power line to be in danger because high-voltage electricity can jump to someone who gets too close. The Tree Care Industry Association warns homeowners can be injured, often fatally, while trimming trees near overhead electrical wires.

Precinct 4 resources direct residents to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.