The combination of a hurricane, heat wave and a multi-day blackout is a nightmare scenario, but it’s one that is set to become more common as humans continue to warm the planet.A man drinking water in his tent in"the Zone," the largest homeless encampment in Phoenix, Arizona, during the city's worst heat wave on record, on July 25, 2023. lost power. Then came the heat wave.
The main threat is storms, which can bring down transmission wires and poles. But heat, too, is having an impact. If it’s really hot, the system works less efficiently. Webber compares it to how someone might feel running a marathon in the heat — “we just kind of break down.” The grid can also buckle under the weight of demand as everyone cranks up their AC at the same time to cope with high temperatures.
Even short power outages can be dangerous. “If the grid goes out while there’s a heat wave, it goes from uncomfortable to deadly pretty quickly,” Webber said.. If the power goes out when it’s very cold, people can add layers, make fires and huddle together. “If it gets really hot, there’s only one way to cool, and that is with electricity,” Webber said.
People waiting in extreme heat to buy ice at Duplantier Ice Service in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 1, 2021, as power remained out in most of the city after Hurricane Ida ripped through the state.