Disparity in Power Restoration:

How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Recovery from Severe Storm

Photo by Shapelined on Unsplash

In a recent study conducted by Chuanyi Ji, Associate Professor of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Scott C. Ganz, Associate Teaching Professor of Business and Economics at Georgetown University, it was revealed that socioeconomic status significantly affects the duration of power outages during severe storms in the United States. The findings shed light on socioeconomically disadvantaged communities' challenges in recovering from natural disasters.

Analyzing data from over 15 million consumers across 588 U.S. counties affected by hurricanes between January 2017 and October 2020, Ji and Ganz discovered a concerning trend: poorer communities experienced longer wait times for power restoration than wealthier areas. Specifically, a 1-decile decrease in socioeconomic status, measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's social vulnerability index, was associated with an average 6.1% longer outage. This delay translates to an extra 170 minutes of waiting for power to be restored and sometimes even more extended periods of darkness.