Report ranks Florida as top state for long summer power outages

Yahoo

02-06-2025

TAMPA, Fla. (BLOOM) — As hurricane season kicks into gear across Florida, a new report sheds light on just how vulnerable the state is to long summer power outages, even when storms aren't in play.
A national study conducted by Wolf River Electric analyzed five years of data from the Event Correlated Outage Dataset to determine where Americans are most likely to lose electricity during the hottest months of the year. Florida ranks fourth in the country for major summer outages, with an average of more than 18,000 hours without power each year from May through August.
While Florida didn't log as many large-scale outages as states like Michigan or Texas, the duration of its blackouts paints a troubling picture. Each recorded event affected at least 5,000 utility customers, including homes, schools, and businesses, and often stretched for hours or even days.
'These aren't just flickers,' the study's authors noted. 'In Florida, when the power goes out in summer, it tends to stay out.'
National leaders in summer outages
The state with the most frequent and prolonged outages is Michigan, which topped the list with over 12,000 major events and more than 34,000 annual outage hours. Texas ranked second, reporting fewer outages but a higher average duration — 35,440 hours without electricity each year — making the Lone Star State's blackouts especially punishing during triple-digit heatwaves.
California came in third, with more than 6,000 major outages, but significantly faster recovery times, averaging 9,500 hours per year. That's roughly half the duration of Florida's.
Comparing states: Short vs. long outages
Florida's outage profile differs sharply from other East Coast states like Maryland, which reported nearly 1,900 outages but just 335 hours without power annually — suggesting short, manageable disruptions.
By contrast, Alabama and Louisiana, southern neighbors to Florida, had fewer outages than the Sunshine State but still saw long-lasting ones: Alabama averaged 8,159 hours per year without power, while Louisiana logged 3,610 hours.
Other notable figures include:
New York: 873 outages; ~4,000 annual hours
North Carolina: 554 outages; ~2,985 annual hours
Georgia: 242 outages; ~1,362 annual hours
Even West Coast states like Washington (609 outages; 1,969 hours) and Oregon (206 outages; 1,201 hours) saw less disruption overall.
Midwest and South hit hardest
The report concluded that the Midwest and Southern U.S. face the greatest risk, both in terms of outage frequency and duration. The Northeast and much of the West Coast fare better, with fewer and shorter disruptions.
Florida's high-stakes summer
For Floridians, the timing of this data is especially relevant. Hurricane season began June 1 and continues through November. Although not all outages in the report were storm-related, the trend of long-duration outages raises serious concerns for public health, food safety, and disaster readiness.
In a state where summer temperatures regularly push into the 90s with high humidity, the absence of air conditioning, refrigeration, or even working traffic lights can quickly become more than just inconvenient — it can be dangerous.
Top 5 states with the longest summer outages (by duration):
Texas – 35,440 hours/year
Michigan – 34,068 hours/year
Florida – 18,038 hours/year
California – 9,553 hours/year
Alabama – 8,159 hours/year
Experts recommend that residents in high-risk states like Florida keep emergency kits, backup power options, and evacuation plans ready, especially as the season heats up.
TAMPA, Fla. (BLOOM) — As hurricane season kicks into gear across Florida, a new report sheds light on just how vulnerable the state is to long summer power outages, even when storms aren't in play.
A national study conducted by Wolf River Electric analyzed five years of data from the Event Correlated Outage Dataset to determine where Americans are most likely to lose electricity during the hottest months of the year. Florida ranks fourth in the country for major summer outages, with an average of more than 18,000 hours without power each year from May through August.
While Florida didn't log as many large-scale outages as states like Michigan or Texas, the duration of its blackouts paints a troubling picture. Each recorded event affected at least 5,000 utility customers, including homes, schools, and businesses, and often stretched for hours or even days.
'These aren't just flickers,' the study's authors noted. 'In Florida, when the power goes out in summer, it tends to stay out.'
National leaders in summer outages
The state with the most frequent and prolonged outages is Michigan, which topped the list with over 12,000 major events and more than 34,000 annual outage hours. Texas ranked second, reporting fewer outages but a higher average duration — 35,440 hours without electricity each year — making the Lone Star State's blackouts especially punishing during triple-digit heatwaves.
California came in third, with more than 6,000 major outages, but significantly faster recovery times, averaging 9,500 hours per year. That's roughly half the duration of Florida's.
Comparing states: Short vs. long outages
Florida's outage profile differs sharply from other East Coast states like Maryland, which reported nearly 1,900 outages but just 335 hours without power annually — suggesting short, manageable disruptions.
By contrast, Alabama and Louisiana, southern neighbors to Florida, had fewer outages than the Sunshine State but still saw long-lasting ones: Alabama averaged 8,159 hours per year without power, while Louisiana logged 3,610 hours.
Other notable figures include:
New York: 873 outages; ~4,000 annual hours
North Carolina: 554 outages; ~2,985 annual hours
Georgia: 242 outages; ~1,362 annual hours
Even West Coast states like Washington (609 outages; 1,969 hours) and Oregon (206 outages; 1,201 hours) saw less disruption overall.
Midwest and South hit hardest
The report concluded that the Midwest and Southern U.S. face the greatest risk, both in terms of outage frequency and duration. The Northeast and much of the West Coast fare better, with fewer and shorter disruptions.
Florida's high-stakes summer
For Floridians, the timing of this data is especially relevant. Hurricane season began June 1 and continues through November. Although not all outages in the report were storm-related, the trend of long-duration outages raises serious concerns for public health, food safety, and disaster readiness.
In a state where summer temperatures regularly push into the 90s with high humidity, the absence of air conditioning, refrigeration, or even working traffic lights can quickly become more than just inconvenient — it can be dangerous.
Top 5 states with the longest summer outages (by duration):
Texas – 35,440 hours/year
Michigan – 34,068 hours/year
Florida – 18,038 hours/year
California – 9,553 hours/year
Alabama – 8,159 hours/year
Experts recommend that residents in high-risk states like Florida keep emergency kits, backup power options, and evacuation plans ready — especially as the season heats up.
Source: Wolf River Electric; U.S. Event Correlated Outage Dataset (2019–2023)
Source: Wolf River Electric; U.S. Event Correlated Outage Dataset (2019–2023)For more on hurricane prep and local safety resources, visit wfla.com/bloom-tampa-bay.
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