How long do power outages last?
Typical restoration times, what makes an outage run long, and how to check when the power will be back where you live.
Last updated July 9, 2026
Most US power outages are short — the majority are restored within a few hours. Across a decade of EAGLE-I outage records, the median outage lasted about 1h 45m, with about 31.4% back within an hour and about 97.9% within a day. What really sets the length is the cause and scale of the outage, not the location: a routine local fault clears fast, while a major storm outage can last several days.
How long does the average outage last?
The typical outage is far shorter than the ones that make the news. From a decade of EAGLE-I county records, the median lasted about 1h 45m, and roughly 75.1% of outages were restored within four hours. A small share run much longer — about 0.4% last more than three days, and the longest 10% stretch past 8h 45m. Exactly how these figures are computed is on our methodology page.
How long do outages last by size?
Scale is the biggest driver of duration. Median and typical-upper (75th percentile) restoration time by how many customers the outage took out, from EAGLE-I history.
| Outage size (customers out) | Median | Typical upper (75th pct) |
|---|---|---|
| <100 (local) | 1h 45m | 3h 15m |
| 100–1k | 6h | 12h 30m |
| 1k–10k | 13h | 1d 6h |
| 10k–50k | 2d 17h | 5d 19h |
| 50k+ (major) | 8d | 18d 3h |
How long do outages last after a storm?
The outages that last for days are almost always big storms. After a major storm a utility can't simply flip everything back on: crews first assess damage across the whole area, then restore in sequence — substations and main lines that serve the most people first, then local lines, then individual services. The more widespread the damage and the more customers affected, the longer that sequence takes. That's why a wind storm that knocks out a few hundred customers is usually a same-day fix, while a hurricane or ice storm affecting hundreds of thousands can mean multi-day restoration.
How long do outages last by cause?
Typical duration by the cause utilities reported. These figures come from recent live (ODIN) reports with cause data and cover only participating utilities, so they're a partial, recent view — not the full decade above. For what tends to cause outages in the first place, see why your power keeps going out.
| Reported cause | Median | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| unknown | 1h 57m | 11570 |
| equipment | 2h 27m | 140 |
| planned | 3h 39m | 125 |
When will my power come back?
Those are the typical numbers — for your own situation, look up your county on MassOutage. During an active outage each county page shows an estimated restoration time based on how long past outages of a similar size in that county actually took, plus current status and active weather alerts. That estimate is a historical pattern, notyour utility's official ETA — your utility's outage line has the authoritative restoration time for your address. When the power is out, our power-outage safety checklist covers what to do in the meantime.
How long do power outages last: FAQ
- How long does the average power outage last?
- Most US power outages are short. Across a decade of EAGLE-I records, the median outage lasted about 1h 45m, and about 75.1% were restored within four hours. Duration depends far more on the cause and scale of the outage than on where you live — a routine local fault clears quickly, while a major storm outage can run for days.
- How long do outages last after a storm?
- Large storm outages are the ones that last for days. After a major storm, utilities first have to assess damage across the whole service area, mobilize and stage crews, and then restore power in sequence — substations and main lines first, then neighborhoods, then individual homes. The more customers affected and the more widespread the damage, the longer the tail.
- When will my power come back?
- For your specific situation, check your county's live status on MassOutage: during an active outage it shows an estimated restoration time based on how long past outages of a similar size in that county actually took. That is a historical estimate, not your utility's official ETA — your utility's outage line has the authoritative restoration time for your address.
- Why is my outage taking longer than the estimate?
- Restoration estimates are typical durations from past outages, not guarantees. An outage runs long when damage is worse than usual, when crews are stretched across many simultaneous outages, when weather keeps crews from working safely, or when the fault is hard to locate. The estimate is a starting expectation, and it can move as the utility learns more.
Duration figures are historical typicals from EAGLE-I (DOE/ORNL) records and describe past outages — they are not a prediction for any specific outage. Live and historical figures use different sources and are never combined. Always treat a downed power line as live: stay at least 35 feet away and report it to your utility and 911.