- The Stakes of Outages in a Digital Era
- Major Outages: Scale, Impact, and Lessons Learned
- Resilience in Practice: Renewable Integration and Grid Security
- Backup Power as a Practical Readiness Tool
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Stay Prepared and Powered During Blackouts With Delta Series Solar Generators
Lessons from the Worst Blackouts in U.S. History
- The Stakes of Outages in a Digital Era
- Major Outages: Scale, Impact, and Lessons Learned
- Resilience in Practice: Renewable Integration and Grid Security
- Backup Power as a Practical Readiness Tool
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Stay Prepared and Powered During Blackouts With Delta Series Solar Generators
Blackouts are responsible for cutting off power to millions. While utility companies resolve most blackouts within a few hours, others last for weeks or months. With extreme weather events becoming increasingly common, blackouts are worsening. In fact, research shows that blackouts have worsened by 20% since 2019, resulting in longer and more frequent outages.
Learn about some of the worst blackouts in U.S. history and how they influenced energy policy. This guide will also show you how to set up reliable backup power to keep your family safe until the lights come back on.
The Stakes of Outages in a Digital Era
The U.S. power grid is absolutely massive. It’s responsible for generating and distributing energy to millions of people. Power plants create energy and send it to load centers via hundreds of miles of high-voltage transmission lines. From there, lower-voltage distribution centers send electricity to your home. It’s an engineering marvel, but it’s also one of the hardest infrastructures to modernize.
Unfortunately, severe weather puts this system under more strain than it can handle. We need energy to communicate with loved ones, get medical care, and work.
Blackouts used to be a once-in-a-generation occurrence. But because of worsening weather and aging infrastructure, these events are becoming more frequent and severe. Our increasing need for power to support a digital-first life makes this even more challenging to manage. When the grid goes dark, so does much of the modern world.
Major Outages: Scale, Impact, and Lessons Learned
Any time the power goes out, it’s an inconvenience at best and a disaster at worst. While some outages last only a few hours, some of the worst blackouts in U.S. history have lasted weeks, if not months. Learn about the scale of these catastrophes and lessons learned.
Great Northeast Blackout of 1965
Duration: 13 hours
Number of people affected: 30 million
Blackouts were rare in 1965. The Great Northeast Blackout was the first major blackout, affecting eight U.S. states and parts of Canada. A small relay failure in Ontario triggered a cascade of interruptions, ultimately leaving 30 million people without power.
The U.S. quickly realized the interconnectedness of the grid after this event. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) was established in response to the blackout as a way to coordinate communication across grids and establish performance standards.
New York City Blackout of 1977
Duration: 25 hours
Number of people affected: 9 million
Just over a decade after the country’s first major blackout, New York City lost power for more than a day. Lightning struck a substation and created a chain reaction that shut down the entire city. While the lack of power alone was a concern, it also led to man-made fires and looting.
NERC established helpful standards, but in 1977, it was clear these weren’t enough. The blackout spurred more investments in grid protection and backup systems.
Northeast Blackout of 2003
Duration: Up to four days for some customers
Number of people affected: 50 million
The Northeast Blackout is the worst in U.S. history in terms of people affected. A software failure in Ohio caused failures across the grid, mainly because providers couldn’t predict that the grid was in danger until it was too late. In response, utilities implemented the phasor measurement network, a system of high-speed sensors designed to monitor grid stress.
Hurricane Maria
Duration: 100 days
Number of people affected: 3.4 million
The blackout after Hurricane Maria in 2017 was the longest in U.S. history. When the hurricane struck, it devastated Puerto Rico’s already weakened power grid. The resulting blackout became the longest in U.S. history, lasting more than 100 days for many residents.
Without power, hospitals struggled to operate, and communities relied on generators to keep wastewater systems running. Hurricane Maria showed how important it is to have backup power. Many Puerto Ricans prepared for long-term power outages by investing in backup power stations.
2021 Texas Winter Storm
Duration: Up to four days
Number of people affected: 4.5 million
In February 2021, an extreme cold front caused the Texas grid to collapse. Since the state has its own power grid, it couldn’t use power from the network covering the rest of the U.S. Millions of people were left without heat or electricity, and many had to deal with flooding caused by burst pipes.
The state invested in winterizing and adding more backup power sources. Many Texans also took matters into their own hands by installing solar-powered backup systems, like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus.
Resilience in Practice: Renewable Integration and Grid Security
Blackouts are becoming more common, and that’s a frightening reality. Still, the U.S. is taking a few measures to make the grid more resilient.
Investing in renewable energy options like wind and solar can add capacity to the grid, but they aren’t reliable. Unlike traditional fossil fuel plants that provide steady, predictable output, solar and wind energy are intermittent by nature.
To account for these variations, utility companies use smart grid technologies to adjust to real-time fluctuations in production and demand, including:
Smart sensors
Automation
Data analytics
Fault detection
Extreme weather is the primary cause of blackouts, but digitizing the grid has also created a new problem: cyber threats.
Did you know that cyberattacks on utilities have surged in recent years? Coordinated strikes on grid control systems could, in theory, cut off electricity to entire regions. The government now regularly stress-tests grid technology through simulated cyberattacks to identify weak points.
Backup Power as a Practical Readiness Tool
Whether it’s a life-threatening storm or a cyber attack that takes down the grid, you’re at the mercy of your local utility to restore power. Electricity is central to staying comfortable and safe, which is why more homeowners are preparing for outages before they happen.
Traditional gas-powered generators are a popular choice, but they’re loud, and you can’t operate them indoors. Portable power stations are an eco-friendly solution that’s silent and safe to run indoors.
Delta Series Capabilities for Power Resilience
Systems like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus combine high-capacity storage with solar charging, providing flexible, renewable energy even when the grid is down. You can recharge it via rooftop or portable panels or plug it into an outlet when power returns.
DELTA 3 Max Plus Portable Power Station
Frequently Asked Questions
What Was the Longest Blackout in U.S. History?
The longest blackout in U.S. history was in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in 2017. Hurricane Maria caused ongoing power outages that lasted up to 100 days in some areas. Islanders had to rely on decentralized generators to run essential services.
What Was the Worst Blackout in the United States?
The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was the worst in terms of the number of people affected. Fifty million people in the U.S. and Canada went without power for up to four days. While this is shorter than the 2017 Puerto Rico outage, its sheer size made it the worst in terms of impact.
What Year Was the 3 Day Blackout?
The 3-Day Blackout is another term for the Northeast Blackout of 2003. It affected 50 million people. Although it was nicknamed the “3-Day Blackout,” it actually lasted four days for many customers.
How to Prepare for Grid Collapse?
As a homeowner, you can’t prevent a grid collapse, but you can prepare before a blackout strikes. Prepare for grid collapse by investing in backup power, like solar generators and battery systems; stocking up on food and water; and installing surge protectors.
Stay Prepared and Powered During Blackouts With Delta Series Solar Generators
Despite utilities adding more capacity and embracing renewable energy, today’s grid is less resilient. Extreme weather events and even cyber attacks can leave your home in the dark for days.
Don’t let unpredictability hurt your family. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus keeps your essentials running while the utility company restores power. Whether you need a backup for outages or an on-the-go option for camping and travel, EcoFlow puts you back in control.