🌪️ Hurricanes Drove Record Power Outages in 2024

Tony Zelinski
6 days ago
2 min read

In 2024, U.S. electricity customers faced the longest interruptions in a decade, with an average of 11 hours without power — nearly double the annual average of the previous ten years. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Annual 2024, the majority of these outages were tied to extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes.

📊 Key Takeaways

Major events dominated: Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton accounted for 80% of outage hours nationwide.
South Carolina hardest hit: Customers endured nearly 53 hours without electricity, the longest of any state.
Regional contrasts: While Florida and Texas saw millions lose power, states like Arizona, Massachusetts, and the Dakotas averaged less than two hours of interruptions.
Frequency matters too: Hawaii experienced the most frequent outages — 4.4 interruptions per customer — driven by storms, volcanic activity, and oil-fired plant issues.

⚡ Reliability Metrics

Utilities measure outages using two key indices:

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index): Total hours of outages per customer annually.
SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index): Number of outages per customer annually.

In 2024, SAIDI spiked due to hurricanes, while SAIFI revealed states like Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont faced more frequent interruptions than the national average of 1.5.

🌍 What This Means

The data underscores how climate-driven extreme weather is reshaping grid reliability. States exposed to hurricanes and severe storms are seeing prolonged outages, while others remain relatively insulated. For utilities, resilience planning — from vegetation management to hardening transmission lines — is becoming more critical than ever.

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