Power outages are generally brief and not very widespread, but there have been times when a massive power outage has affected millions of people for days. Sometimes this is caused by an error by the electric companies, but more often it occurs because of gigantic storms and natural disasters. Here are some of the largest power outages from the 21st century which will be remembered for the rest of our lives.

  • Twelve years ago this month, a massive blackout affected about 55 million people in the northeast United States and Ontario.
  • Over 2.5 million people lost power ten years ago when Hurricane Katrina caused huge power outages in multiple states.
  • In 2008, an ice storm swept through seven states including New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine, resulting in a loss of power for well over a million people.
  • Hundreds of tornadoes swept through Alabama and other nearby states in April of 2011, destroying 311 high-tension electrical transmission towers and leaving Northern Alabama without power.
  • Hurricane Irene resulted in 5 million people losing their electricity in August 2011 when the storm swept over multiple eastern states.

Power outages are not fun, even on a small scale. Contact Mister Sparky to learn steps to take before and after an outage.