Power outages linked to heat and storms are rising, and low-income communities are most at risk, as a new NYC study shows

People line up for ice provided by a utility company during a 2019 power outage in Brooklyn. AP Photo/Seth Wenig by Nina Flores, Columbia University and Joan A. Casey, University of Washington Many Americans think of power outages as infrequent inconveniences, but that’s quickly changing. Nationwide, major power outages have increased tenfold since 1980, largely because of an aging electrical grid and damage sustained from severe storms as the planet warms. At the same time, electricity demand is rising as the population grows and an increasing number of people use electricity to cool and heat their homes, cook their meals and power their cars. A growing number of Americans also rely on electricity-powered medical equipment, such as oxygen concentrators to help with breathing, lifts for movement and infusion pumps to deliver medications and fluids to their bodies. For older adults and others with health conditions, a loss of power may be more than an inconvenience. It can be life-threatening. We study environmental health, including the effects of extreme heat and storms on people. In a new study, we analyzed data from New York City and the surrounding area to understand how severe weather drives power outages and who is most...