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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Extreme weather events impact the Midstate frequently and we’ve seen a rise in power outages because of that.

Many extreme weather events in recent years have led to power outages in the Mid State. Here are a few you may remember:

March 3, 2020: Tornado outbreak
December 10-11, 2021: Tornado outbreak
December 2022 Christmas week Winter Storm
December 9, 2023 Tornado Outbreak
January 2024 Winter Storm
May 8-9, 2024 Tornado outbreak

During these weather events, more than 50,000 customers in the Midstate lost power, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That list may likely keep growing in time.

There has been 40 power outages since 2000 that have been considered major (50,000 power... — There has been 40 power outages since 2000 that have been considered major (50,000 power outages or more).(wsmv)

In November of 2023, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced that they would make $8 million worth of upgrades to their infrastructure to prevent rolling blackouts like we had back in December of 2022. Here’s a link to that announcement.

The number of major power outages is growing as extreme weather events increase in frequency.(wsmv)

It’s not just here in the Midstate where extreme weather events are taking a toll on the power grid. The U.S. in general is seeing an increase in major U.S. power outages due to weather.

In a study done by Climate Central, it was found that of all major U.S. power outages reported from 2000 to 2023, 80% (1,755) were due to weather.

Climate Central also highlights that most weather-related outages were caused by severe weather (58%), winter storms (23%), and tropical cyclones including hurricanes (14%). This data is valid for the years 2000 through 2023 which were used in the study.