A tree near a power line in Corpus Christi

If a tree or limb is on a wire, stay away from it and call 911 or the utility. This site is not for emergencies. For anything short of that, the first question is which wire. AEP Texas deals with trees too close to the lines running from pole to pole. A tree threatening the wire from the pole to your house is the owner's to deal with, and AEP wants notice before that work starts.

Whose wires are they?

The city's recovery page says "AEP Texas provides power to the majority of Corpus Christi", and AEP Texas keeps its region headquarters here. The name on your bill may be a different company, because AEP delivers power "regardless of which Retail Electric Provider" a customer picks. So a bill from someone else does not mean someone else runs the wires.

The same city page also links Nueces Electric Cooperative, a member-owned co-op with its own 24-hour outage line at 1-800-632-9288. If your bill comes from the co-op, call the co-op. The rest of this page describes AEP's rules, so ask the co-op about its own.

Pole to pole, or pole to house?

Look at where the wire goes. AEP's tree page splits it this way:

The form asks for your ESID number, so keep a bill handy. If a company quotes a job with a service drop in the branches and never mentions the disconnect, ask how it plans to handle that.

Which AEP number?

AEP's own pages do not line up. Its safety hazard page says to report downed wires, downed poles and trees fallen on lines to its Customer Operations Center at 866-223-8508. Its tree page gives 877-373-4858 for immediate hazards like branches on lines. Its downed lines page lists 866-223-8508 for outages and 877-373-4858 for customer service. Those are AEP's numbers, not ours. Save both. If there is sparking, fire or anyone hurt, start with 911.

Why nobody should just cut it

AEP says "You should never attempt to trim or remove trees near power lines", and that serious injury or death can occur. The International Society of Arboriculture warns that a downed line could still be conducting electricity, and says to call your electricity provider if you see tree parts touching a line.

State law is blunt about it too. Health and Safety Code section 752.004 puts a six-foot buffer around high voltage overhead lines. It bars a person or company from any activity that could put someone, or a tool, machine or material, inside that distance, unless contact is guarded against. For temporary work that close, section 752.003 says the line's operator must be told at least 48 hours ahead, and the party doing the work pays the operator's actual expense. So a quote near high voltage should say who makes that call and who pays. That is our reading of the statute, not legal advice.

When a wire is down

AEP says to "Treat all power lines, telephone lines and cable lines as a live wire" and to keep people, pets, ladders and long tools well back. If one lands on your car, stay inside and call for help. Forest Service storm advice adds a detail people miss: "Even fence wires can become electrically charged when there are fallen or broken electrical lines nearby." The co-op's rule is "Never remove debris that's within 10 feet of a power line."

After Harvey, the weather service recorded that nearly the entire city lost power for a couple of days. With that many lines out, a tree in a service wire may wait its turn. Stay well back while it does.

Will AEP take down my tree?

It may, and the first answer may not be the last one. KRIS 6 News reported on an Annaville family with two old oaks in the front yard, there since the house was built in 1959. AEP first said both had to come down because they sat under its lines, pointing to a repeat of the February 2021 freeze. After the station's Troubleshooters got involved, AEP measured from the center of the easement and offered to "trim any branches hanging over that mark" instead, and the family accepted. The story shows no year on its page, and one family's outcome is no promise about yours.

If a door hanger says something you disagree with, call and ask what measurement the decision rests on, then check your deed or survey for the easement. Ask early: the tree is much harder to argue about after the crew has been.

If the tree does come out

AEP encourages "planting the right tree in the right place", and says one limb can knock out service to dozens of families up to several miles away. Our hurricane season page has a planting list for this coast. Texas811 says homeowners must contact it two business days before digging, planting a tree included.