Storms batter aging power grid as climate disasters spread

By MATTHEW BROWN, CAMILLE FASSETT, PATRICK WHITTLE, JANET MCCONNAUGHEY and JASEN LO
Associated Press

Power outages from severe weather have doubled over the past two decades across the U.S. as a warming climate stirs more destructive storms. An Associated Press analysis found the number of outages tied to severe weather rose from about 50 annually nationwide in the early 2000s to more than 100 annually on average over the past five years. The weather disasters fueled by climate change now roll across the U.S. year-round, battering the nation’s aging electric grid. The resulting blackouts can be harmful and even deadly for the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable communities.