Alabama Power Outage Leaves Thousands in the Dark Amid Severe Weather
Montgomery, AL - A widespread power outage, triggered by a series of severe thunderstorms moving through central Alabama, has left over 120,000 residents without electricity as of 8:00 PM local time on Wednesday. The event, occurring across a 50-mile corridor from Birmingham to Montgomery, is the result of downed power lines and damaged transformers from high winds exceeding 60 miles per hour. Alabama Power Company has deployed over 400 crews to restore service, with an estimated restoration timeline of 24 to 48 hours for the hardest-hit areas. Officials are urging residents to avoid downed wires and report outages through the company’s mobile app, as emergency shelters have been opened in Jefferson and Elmore counties. The storm system, which has since moved eastward, has also caused flash flooding and road closures. This outage marks the largest disruption to the state’s grid this year, with no reports of injuries at this time.