A historic storm complex is battering a huge stretch of the country, from the West Coast through the Central Plains and into Texas, with damaging winds, heavy snow, and torrential rain. Power outages have soared past one million customers nationwide, and one major West Coast utility has recorded the most widespread outages and strongest wind gusts in its history.

A Coast-to-Coast Grid Emergency

Storms of this scale strain mutual-aid networks, as utilities that would normally lend crews to neighbors are fighting their own outages. Restoration timelines stretch as a result. With the holidays days away, hundreds of thousands of families are discovering how much of their celebration depends on a working electrical connection.

Preparing for Possible Impacts

• Inspect your standby generator and ensure it is ready to activate automatically if power is lost.
• Run a test cycle to confirm your system starts and transfers power properly.
• Plan for fuel supply and make sure natural gas or propane systems are fully connected and serviced.
• Consider an upgrade. Whole-home backup solutions from Generac and Kohler deliver seamless power protection during prolonged outages.

Stay Informed

Follow your utility’s outage map and local emergency management updates through the holiday week, and report downed lines immediately.