Electrocution in rain flooded streets

[morrobay]

There have been two recent reports of people being electrocuted while walking in a rain flooded street that is continuous with a submerged power cable: Queens, New York and Pattaya,Thailand .
Can someone explain quantitativly and in form, the underwater electric field and current path dimensions in a situation like this that would cause electrocution ?

 

[dlgoff]

When you have a power line on the ground, for example, you can get what's call ground potential rise.

The potential gradient (drop of voltage with distance) may be so high that a person could be injured due to the voltage developed between two feet...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Potential_Rise"

Now if the line is in water, you would get a "3 dimensional" potential rise through the water.

Regards