Severe Storms in the Upper Midwest and Northeast Cause Massive Power Outages

Strong thunderstorms have led to widespread power outages across the upper Midwest, Northeast, and southern Ontario, Canada as extreme heat envelops the region. Authorities reported late on Friday that around 1 million customers faced blackouts stretching from Illinois to New York, and into Ontario.

Many outages resulted from downed power lines. Officials issued urgent safety alerts due to the mix of intense heat and power losses. New York City’s Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, cautioned residents about the dangers of outages even at night. The city provided overnight cooling centers for those without electricity.

Con Edison, a major power supplier for New York City, stated that thunderstorms disrupted power for thousands in the city and Westchester County. The prolonged heat further strained the power grid. New Jersey’s Governor, Mikie Sherrill, highlighted similar disruptions across the state’s northern and central counties, urging safety around downed lines. NJ Transit reported several train line interruptions due to the storms.

Police in Warren, New Jersey, which is about 30 miles from New York City, warned of potentially prolonged outages. With utility crews informed, restoration efforts might be extended due to significant damage.

The small borough of Alburtis in eastern Pennsylvania declared a state of emergency following severe wind damage, including fallen trees and power lines. Local fire departments shared that efforts to restore power were underway.

In Michigan, the state’s largest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, dispatched teams to handle the widespread outages. DTE Energy estimated restoring power to 95% of impacted customers by Monday’s end.

Nearby, in northern Ohio, fire departments in Hambden and Chardon dealt with numerous emergency calls related to downed lines and trees. Tennessee also experienced significant outages, with utility EPB reporting on its website.

In Ontario, Canada, thousands suffered power cuts as well. Electricity provider Essex Powerlines and utility Hydro One reported ongoing repair efforts due to extensive storm damage earlier in the week.

John Yoon, a Times reporter, mentioned the issues in this region are part of his covering of breaking and trending news from Seoul.