Wildfires, Natural Disasters & Power Outages

Power outages are a growing problem. Natural disasters, wildfires and sometimes high winds are stretching the ability of some power providers to keep up. Sometimes things are so bad they have to shut power down for several hours.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Housing Survey said close to 25% of U.S. households reported having a power outage last year. Close to 70% or 23.6 million — said they experienced an outage that lasted six hours or more.

And — as we all know — if it’s a natural disaster like an earthquake, wildfire, hurricane or a tornado, a power outage can last a lot, lot longer.

Outside of spoiling food, the loss of heat or air-conditioning, and other issues, the biggest problem for 8.6 million people is medical devices that demand power to operate, or to charge, so they can operate.

Rural areas have seen more outages than urban areas at 35% compared to 22.8%.

Two PIA Western Alliance cities — San Francisco and Seattle — are in the top-5 of the most power deprived areas. Here’s the top-5 list:

• Detroit: 44.8%
• San Francisco: 36.2%
• Seattle: 29.3%
• Houston: 25.7%
• Boston: 25.3%

Here are other problems listed in the Census Bureau report:

• Missed work: Housing units affected in 2023 — 2.4 million
• Water from storms getting into basements or crawlspaces: Housing units affected — 300,000
• Frozen pipes: Housing units affected in 2023 — 700,000
• Forced to stay overnight outside the home: Housing units impacted — 2.9 million
• Spoiled medicine: Housing units affected — 700,000
• Spoiled food: Housing units affected — 4.9 million

Source link: PropertyCasualty360.com — https://bit.ly/3Yr9YO1