A rare early-spring severe weather outbreak swept the East Coast on the heels of the Midwest’s record blizzard, a one-two punch that has knocked out power to more than a million customers across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, with Ohio among the hardest hit. Damaging winds and tornadoes downed trees and lines from the Appalachians to the coast while snow-buried communities to the west continued digging out.

A Punishing Stretch for the Grid

March has now delivered two grid-scale events in under a week. Utilities are moving crews across state lines as fast as conditions allow, but with damage spread across a dozen states, many neighborhoods face multi-day waits.

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

Spring severe weather season is officially underway. Check Storm Prediction Center outlooks daily and keep your backup power ready between rounds.