Severe Storms Trigger Massive Blackouts, Plunging Major US Cities into Prolonged Darkness
Over 150,000 Americans Remain Without Power After Severe Southern Storms
More than 150,000 Americans are still without power following a series of severe storms that battered the South over Memorial Day weekend. Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi faced the brunt of the outages, with recovery efforts ongoing as new storms threaten the region.
Texas Hit Hardest
In Texas, over 125,000 residents—primarily in the Houston area—remained without electricity Tuesday morning. The storms, which brought heavy rain and high winds, caused widespread damage to power infrastructure. At the peak, nearly 200,000 Texans lost power. Oncor, the state’s largest utility provider, urged residents to avoid downed power lines and report hazards immediately.
Louisiana and Mississippi Struggle
Louisiana saw over 100,000 outages after Entergy Louisiana intentionally cut power to parts of New Orleans to prevent a larger grid collapse. In Mississippi, 17,000 homes remained without electricity Tuesday. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) defended the controlled outages as necessary to avoid a catastrophic blackout.
Damaged power lines in Houston after severe storms. (Image: AP)
Ongoing Weather Threats
AccuWeather warned of more severe weather Tuesday, including hail, flash floods, and possible tornadoes in southern Texas. The storms are expected to shift toward Austin and San Antonio by evening. Louisiana and Mississippi also face lingering thunderstorms, complicating recovery efforts.
Utility Companies Respond
Oncor, serving 13 million Texans, stated crews are working “around the clock” to restore power. Entergy Louisiana has restored electricity to most of New Orleans but warned some areas may take days to recover.
Crews work to restore power in storm-affected areas. (Image: Reuters)
Residents Urged to Stay Safe
Officials advised residents to avoid flooded roads and report outages promptly. Emergency shelters remain open in hardest-hit regions
