Alabama power outage leaves over 150,000 without electricity as severe storms batter the region
ROBERTA, AL — A widespread power outage swept across central and southern Alabama on Tuesday evening, leaving more than 150,000 homes and businesses without electricity after a line of severe thunderstorms and damaging winds moved through the area.
WHAT: A massive power outage event affecting communities from Birmingham to Mobile.
WHO: Alabama Power Company, the state’s primary utility provider, alongside local emergency management agencies, are coordinating restoration efforts.
WHEN: The outage began around 6:30 PM local time on Tuesday, with peak impacts reported between 7 PM and 10 PM. Restoration timelines remain uncertain.
WHERE: The hardest-hit areas include Jefferson County, Shelby County, and Baldwin County, with widespread blackouts also reported in Chambers and Lee counties.
WHY: Preliminary reports indicate a squall line producing hurricane-force wind gusts of over 80 miles per hour toppled trees and downed power lines, damaging critical transmission infrastructure.
Approximately 40,000 customers remain without power as of early Wednesday morning, according to the utility’s online outage map. Crews are conducting aerial damage assessments, and officials urge residents to treat all downed wires as live and dangerous. No injuries have been directly attributed to the power loss, but authorities warn of potential hazards as clean-up continues.