Map shows where power outages have spread amid life-threatening heat
About 80,000 people across four states are without power on Tuesday evening, as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists urged people to stay cool amid “life-threatening” temperatures that have scorched parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
Why It Matters
A dangerous heat wave has moved across the Midwest and northeastern U.S. this week, prompting National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists in many states to warn of life-threatening temperatures.
People are urged to stay cool, but that’s proving difficult for thousands, as power outages take hold. As of Tuesday evening, approximately 80,000 people in four states were without power. In at least one instance, restoring power could be a multi-day process.
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What To Know
On Tuesday morning, thousands of people in Adams County, Pennsylvania, were without power amid two separate issues with substations. Later in the day, outages were also reported across three other states.
As of 5:10 p.m. Eastern time, power outages were reported as follows, according to poweroutage.us:
- More than 35,000 people without power in Michigan
- More than 12,000 people without power in Pennsylvania
- More than 11,000 people without power in New York
- More than 21,000 people without power in New Jersey
NWS meteorologists have issued extreme heat warnings across all four states, as the heat index pushed the feels-like temperatures into the triple digits.
In most cases, the extreme heat warnings will remain in place until 8 p.m. local time Wednesday.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” an extreme heat warning issued by the Mount Holly, New Jersey, NWS office said. “Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
What People Are Saying
First Energy Corp. spokesperson Todd Meyers told Newsweek regarding the outages in Adams County, Pennsylvania, that occurred following a fire: “Our focus right now is on safely restoring power to our customers as quickly as possible. We will investigate what caused the fire once power restoration has been completed. Due to the complexity of the repairs, this will be a multi-day outage. As we make progress, we will provide a more definitive restoration time.”
Meyers added: “We are doing what we can to minimize the impact on customers, including activating our free water and ice program at local stores. We are also encouraging energy conservation during peak heat hours to help reduce strain on the system.”
Pinckney Police Department in Michigan, in a post on Facebook: “With the power out and the heat set on hades, if you need to cool off, come to the Village Hall. The council chamber is open. There is a bathroom and the A/C is on.”
What Happens Next
The worst of the heat is expected to move out of after Wednesday, although dangerous conditions could persist into the weekend.
