See, it’s like this: We power companies in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia don’t expect hurricanes, so we have no reason to bury or otherwise protect our power lines.
In the unlikely event a hurricane ever strikes us, it’s cheaper to leave millions without electricity for a while, then send crews out to fix the lines again.
We don’t really care about the inconvenience and damage our customers have from the lack of electricity. Hey, they’re stuck with us, so why worry? Let the insurance companies worry (Anyway, they just can raise their rates)
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More than 860,000 without power: 10/10/2026
Isaias has left more than 860,000 people without electricity as it moves inland across the southeast. Here’s the latest breakdown of the worst-affected states, according to poweroutage.us: Florida: 436,745; Alabama: 316,366; Georgia: 87,334.
Major hurricanes that caused power outages
Here are some particularly significant examples from only the past two decades in just three states:
Year Hurricane States experiencing significant outages
2004 Ivan Florida, Alabama
2004 Frances and Jeanne Florida
2005 Dennis Florida, Alabama
2005 Katrina Alabama, Florida
2017 Irma Florida, Georgia, Alabama
2018 Michael Florida, Georgia, Alabama
2020 Sally Alabama, Florida
2020 Zeta Alabama, Georgia
2022 Ian Florida
2023 Idalia Florida, Georgia
2024 Helene Florida, Georgia
2024 Milton Florida
Some particularly dramatic cases:
Hurricane Irma (2017): Approximately 6.7 million Florida electricity customers lost power. Georgia also experienced extensive outages.
Hurricane Michael (2018): Devastated parts of Florida’s Panhandle and southwestern Georgia, destroying substantial electrical infrastructure.
Hurricane Ian (2022): More than 2.5 million Florida customers lost electricity.
Hurricane Helene (2024): Caused widespread outages across Florida and Georgia, with Georgia experiencing particularly severe damage.
Hurricane Milton (2024): Left millions of Florida customers without electricity. U.S. Energy Information Administration
Which state is most vulnerable?
Florida: Hurricane-related outages are a recurring problem, particularly along the Gulf Coast. Some years bring multiple major storms; other years bring none.
Georgia: Direct hurricane strikes are relatively uncommon, but hurricanes moving inland from Florida can cause widespread outages. Helene demonstrated that Georgia’s inland location does not guarantee protection.
Alabama: The Gulf Coast, particularly around Mobile and Baldwin counties, is vulnerable to hurricanes. Inland areas can also lose electricity from damaging winds and fallen trees.
The Energy Information Administration reports that hurricanes were a major reason Americans experienced unusually long electricity interruptions in 2024. U.S. Energy Information Administration
Never mind about Texas, Louisiana, the East Coast and outer islands. They never get hit, so why prepare?
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
