Power outages increase as extreme heat hits New York, Cleveland and Philadelphia
New York, Monday, June 24, 2025 – Tens of thousands of residents across the Midwest and the East Coast—particularly in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio—are without electricity as this season’s first major heat wave intensifies. The crisis is especially severe in northeastern urban areas, where power grids are under extreme strain and utility companies are racing to restore services.
Power grid under pressure in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York
As of early Monday afternoon, FirstEnergy, a utility provider based in Ohio, reported nearly 50,000 outages in the northeastern part of the state, with more than 13,000 homes and businesses in Cleveland affected.
In Philadelphia, provider PECO said it is working to restore electricity to almost 6,000 customers, with some areas still feeling the effects of straight-line winds that exceeded 70 mph last Thursday.
In New York City, ConEdison announced over 14,000 households experiencing either partial or complete outages as of Monday. Crews are working under pressure, particularly in Queens, where voltage has been deliberately reduced by 8% to preserve system stability. The company has urged residents to conserve electricity, warning that equipment failures could trigger further disruptions.
New York declares emergency as conditions worsen
On Sunday, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across 32 counties, including heavily affected boroughs like Queens, following forecasts of dangerously high temperatures and severe thunderstorms.
Brooklyn and Staten Island have also been impacted, with ConEdison describing most of the current outages as “weather-related.” The company’s live outage map showed several areas where crews are actively working to bring systems back online.
Residents have been asked to limit use of air conditioning, avoid charging electric vehicles, and prepare for temporary loss of service. Meanwhile, in Akron, Ohio, officials warned of rotating blackouts lasting up to 12 hours, with 90-minute cycles of power outages due to high demand.
Record-breaking temperatures grip the Northeast
This week’s heat wave is scorching large swaths of the Midwest and spreading rapidly across the Northeast, with cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. expected to reach temperatures above 100°F (38°C).
Over 148 million people across the central and eastern U.S. are under heat alerts, and around 75 million residents in cities including Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Baltimore remain at risk, according to emergency forecasts.
On Saturday, parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota recorded highs near 100°F (37.7°C), with the heat dome shifting steadily eastward, bringing suffocating humidity and pushing electricity infrastructure beyond capacity.
Residents in Philadelphia have compared the situation to Hurricane Sandy, citing long-lasting outages and unbearable indoor conditions in homes and public spaces.
