About GridWatch

What this is

A power outage is any loss of electricity to your home or business. Utilities each publish their own outage maps, but there is no free, unified feed that covers everyone — so GridWatch takes a different approach: the community reports outages directly.

When the power goes out where you are, click your location on the GridWatch map. Reports from everyone nearby are combined into ~1 km cells — the more independent reports a spot collects, the stronger (and redder) the signal. Reports fade after 48 hours, so the map reflects what is happening now, not last month. Community reports are unverified: always check your utility's official outage page before acting on them.

• ⚡ How the grid works and why the power goes outGeneration, transmission and distribution — the three stages electricity passes through, and why most outages are local distribution faults near you.
• 📊 Reading the outage numbersWhat “% customers out” means, why customers are not the same as people, and how to read an estimated restoration time without over-trusting it.
• 🌩️ Why the power goes outThe main causes — severe weather, extreme heat, equipment failure, accidents and animals — plus deliberate shutoffs and rolling blackouts.
• 🔦 Staying safe and prepared during an outageHow restoration is prioritized, what to do before and during an outage, and the few hazards that cause most outage injuries.

Staying safe during a power outage

Most outage injuries come from a few avoidable hazards. This is general preparedness guidance, not a substitute for instructions from your utility or local emergency officials.

Data sources

• GridWatch community reports — Outage locations reported directly by the public on this site's map — aggregated to ~1 km cells, rate-limited, unverified, and expired after 48 hours.
• Ready.gov (FEMA) — Federal preparedness guidance for power outages — generator safety, food safety and building an emergency kit.
• CDC — Power Outages — Public-health guidance on carbon-monoxide poisoning, food safety, and staying safe in heat and cold during outages.

Frequently asked

What does “% customers out” actually mean?

It is the share of a utility’s tracked accounts in an area that have no power — accounts out divided by accounts served. A “customer” is a metered household or business, so the number of people without power is higher than the percentage suggests.

How long will my power be out?

Check the utility’s estimated restoration time (ETR) if one is posted. It is a best estimate, not a promise — short local faults often clear within an hour or two, while widespread storm damage can take days as crews work through repairs in priority order.

Why is my neighbor’s power back but mine isn’t?

Utilities restore in a deliberate order — region-feeding lines and critical facilities first, then the fixes that bring back the most customers, then isolated homes. You and a neighbor can be on different circuits, so one returns before the other.

Why would a utility cut power on purpose?

Two reasons. During extreme fire weather it may run a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) so its lines cannot start a wildfire. And when demand outruns supply, grid operators use rolling blackouts — short, rotating outages — to keep the whole system from collapsing.

Why does GridWatch show no outage when my power is off?

Each utility reports on its own schedule and some report more completely than others, so there can be a lag or a gap. If your power is off, report it to your utility directly — that is also how you get on their repair list.