Nothing is worse than a power outage lasting several days to appreciate the simple privilege of electricity.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in northeast Ohio have been without power for two days after two tornadoes hit the region on Tuesday. And while this week’s storm, with its ferocious winds, is one of the most devastating in recent history, power outages in Ohio due to extreme weather are fairly common, a report says.
According to a report by Texas-based energy company Payless Power, Ohio ranked third among all states with the most affected customers in 2022, with 34,093 customers per capita. That number was just behind Texas (65,382) and Wisconsin (45,755), and just ahead of Kansas (25,674) and Minnesota (24,992). The Buckeye State experienced a total of 21 power outages in 2022, ranking seventh among all states.
Interestingly, while Ohio ranked third among states with the most customers affected by power outages per capita in 2022, that is not due to excessive electricity consumption. Ohio ranked 24th in total electricity consumption in 2022 at 84.7 megawatts per capita.
According to the report, which is based on analysis of historical data from energy.gov, Ohio ranks second among states with the most customers affected by power outages between 2002 and 2022 – only Florida is better.
Ohio also ranks seventh among all states with 388 power outages from 2002 to 2022, which equates to nearly 20 statewide power outages per year. In this number of power outages, Ohio is only behind California (2,684), Texas (1,565), New York (631), Michigan (620), Pennsylvania (461) and Florida (448).
As many Ohio residents are currently experiencing, dealing with power outages after a severe storm can be difficult. Therefore, Payless Power recommends the following tips to best prepare for power outages and damage caused by storms and extreme weather:
– Keep both candles and batteries, even different types, on hand to power a number of necessary electronic devices such as flashlights, battery-operated candles and more.
– Stock up on non-perishable foods: canned beans, canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, granola and protein bars, soups and more.
– Consider purchasing a generator to provide power to your home during power outages.
Payless Power’s full report on states most at risk for power outages can be found online.
