How long do power outages last?

How long do power outages last?

In 2024, US customer interruptions averaged 123.6 minutes excluding major event days, and the average customer lost 11 hours of power over the year because storms add long outages on top. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes both numbers each year, with and without major event days.

A major event day is a day when a utility’s outages exceed a threshold set from its own five years of daily data. Storms, hurricanes and ice usually cause them. The table below is EIA’s national series for utilities that follow the IEEE method, checked on 2026-10-26.

Year	Hours without power per customer, all events	Hours per customer, without major event days	Average interruption, all events (hours)	Average interruption, without major event days (hours)
2015	3.5	2.0	2.7	1.8
2016	4.5	2.0	3.4	1.8
2017	8.4	2.0	5.9	1.9
2018	5.8	2.0	4.3	1.9
2019	4.9	2.0	3.7	2.0
2020	7.6	1.9	5.5	1.9
2021	7.9	2.1	5.5	2.0
2022	5.6	2.2	3.9	2.0
2023	6.1	2.1	4.5	2.0
2024	11.0	2.2	7.2	2.1

Without major event days the yearly figure sits near 2 hours every year. With them it ranges from 3.5 to 11.0 hours. This page analyses 2024, the year of the three large hurricanes, with the state data taken from EIA’s 2024 reliability file.

The “average interruption” columns are EIA’s CAIDI measure: the average minutes to restore service per customer interruption. They answer “how long will my outage last” better than the yearly total does. Excluding major event days, the average was 2.1 hours in 2024. Including major event days, it was 7.2 hours.

How long will a power cut last?

A power cut in Great Britain costs the average customer about 35 minutes per year across network companies, and Ofgem’s payment rules start at 12 hours. The figure comes from Ofgem’s 2024/25 annual report on the 14 distribution licence areas.

Ofgem shows the numbers only in charts. Reading its Figure 1 and Figure 2, the sector average for 2024/25 is roughly 40 interruptions per 100 customers and roughly 35 minutes lost. The range between licence areas is wide: about 10 minutes in London to about 70 in the north of Scotland. Ofgem’s figures include adjustments for severe weather exceptional events, submitted by the network companies before Ofgem’s final assessment.

Ofgem’s payment rules show where a cut counts as long, in England, Scotland and Wales. In normal weather, a home gets £100 if fewer than 5,000 properties lose power for more than 12 hours, or if 5,000 or more lose power for more than 24 hours. Each additional 12-hour period adds £45, and a £400 cap applies when 5,000 or more properties are affected. In severe weather, category 1 pays from 24 hours and category 2 from 48 hours, then £45 for every 6 hours after that. Amounts were checked on 2026-10-26.

To report a power cut in Great Britain, call 105 for free. It connects you to your local network operator. In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643 643.

GB and US figures use different rules for what counts, and the GB measure adjusts for severe weather. The US figure of 131.6 minutes without major event days for 2024 is the closest US match to Ofgem’s roughly 35 minutes, and it is close to four times higher.

How long do power outages last after a storm?

Power outages after a storm last from many hours to several days, and the longest cases run past two weeks. EIA reported that Hurricane Ian in September 2022 left over 2.6 million Florida customers without power, some for over two weeks.

Storm outages dominate the yearly total. EIA says major events, including Hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton, accounted for 80% of outage hours in 2024. The table above agrees: 662.6 minutes with major event days minus 131.6 without leaves 531 minutes, or 80.1% of the total.

A national average hides the spread. The next section shows how large it gets between states.

Average power outage duration by state

Average outage duration in the US ranged from 0.5 hours in the District of Columbia to 52.3 hours in South Carolina in 2024. These are customer-weighted state totals from EIA’s Form EIA-861 reliability file for 2024, covering utilities that use IEEE and non-IEEE methods.

State	Hours without power per customer, 2024, all events	Hours, without major event days	Share of hours from major events
South Carolina	52.3	2.0	96%
Maine	29.1	4.6	84%
North Carolina	24.0	2.4	90%
Florida	22.0	1.1	95%
Texas	21.2	2.2	90%
Georgia	20.5	3.5	83%
West Virginia	19.4	8.1	58%
New Hampshire	15.4	2.2	86%
Washington	10.4	2.6	75%
Ohio	8.5	2.2	74%
Pennsylvania	5.6	2.2	61%
California	4.7	2.6	43%
New York	3.7	1.2	67%
Illinois	2.6	1.0	62%
Arizona	1.5	1.2	18%

Two readings matter. First, a high yearly figure can sit on top of a low everyday one. Florida’s everyday figure was 1.1 hours, among the lowest in the table. Second, West Virginia is the exception: its 8.1 hours per customer without major event days was the highest among the states shown, and its average customer interruption on those days lasted about 3.5 hours.

States swap places from year to year with the weather. In 2022, EIA ranked Florida first at 19.1 hours (Hurricane Ian) and put the District of Columbia lowest at 34 minutes. States swap places from year to year with the weather.

Worked example: South Carolina in 2024

South Carolina’s 3,136.5 minutes for 2024 splits into 117.8 minutes of everyday outages and 3,018.7 minutes tied to major events.

• All events: 3,136.5 minutes ÷ 60 = 52.3 hours.
• Without major event days: 117.8 minutes ÷ 60 = 2.0 hours.
• Difference: 3,136.5 − 117.8 = 3,018.7 minutes, or 50.3 hours.
• Share: 3,018.7 ÷ 3,136.5 = 96%.

Across reporting utilities, South Carolina averaged 2.0 hours per customer excluding major event days, plus 50.3 hours associated with major events in 2024. That gap is why the kit list below is sized for a storm.

How long do power outages last in Canada?

Canada had over 220 million customer hours of interruption in 2022, the most since 1998. Electricity Canada, the industry body, named the Ottawa-area derecho, Hurricane Fiona in Nova Scotia and a pre-Christmas storm as drivers.

Its article says that without major events the numbers “fall back to normal”. It also reports that interruptions from tree contact rose 27% from 2021 to 2022, and that about one in five outages involved a tree.

What causes the longest power outages?

Major events cause the longest power outages: hurricanes, severe storms and ice, along with trees on lines. EIA says major events include weather, vegetation near lines and utility practices.

EIA also separates frequency from duration. Outages that are not major events are more frequent, and falling tree branches are common after winter ice and snowstorms.

In 2024 the average US interruption took 7.2 hours with major events included and 2.1 hours without them. The same year, EIA’s national figure for frequency was 1.5 interruptions per customer including major events and 1.1 without.

How long should you plan for a power outage?

Plan for a couple of hours as the default and for at least 3 days when a hurricane, ice storm or derecho is forecast. Everyday interruptions averaged 2.1 hours in 2024, while storm years reach days.

Use this checklist:

1. Check the forecast. If a named storm or ice warning covers your area, treat it as a multi-day event.
2. Keep light, phone charging and a battery radio ready for the 2-hour case. The first hours are covered in what to do when the power goes out.
3. For a storm, stock for 72 hours using the power outage emergency kit list. If you run a generator, see how long a generator can run and what size you need. Winter storm coming? Read what to do before a winter storm and how to stay warm without power.
4. Start the food clock when the power fails. How long food lasts in a fridge or freezer without power gives the safe hours.
5. If you are in Great Britain, note the 12 and 24 hour payment triggers and call 105 to report; in Northern Ireland call 03457 643 643.
6. Check what your country’s advice says in emergency kit advice compared by country.

How to read these numbers

These averages blend every customer in a state or network area, so your street can sit above or below them. A major event day is set by each utility’s own statistics, and utilities outside the IEEE method decide for themselves; the state table mixes both groups. The GB figure was read off Ofgem’s charts. 2024 had three large hurricanes, which makes it a storm-heavy year: the 2.0 to 2.2 hours without major event days is the steadier baseline.