Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power Saturday, March 15, 2026, after a powerful storm system brought damaging winds from the Great Lakes region eastward across the Northeastern United States. The National Weather Service had issued wind advisories and warnings for a broad area, with gusts reported between 50 and 70 mph (80 to 113 km/h).
The high winds downed trees and power lines, leading to widespread electrical outages. According to utility company outage maps aggregated by PowerOutage.us, over 600,000 customers were without power at the peak of the storm across multiple states including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and New England.
Emergency services reported numerous incidents of property damage, including structural damage to buildings and vehicles struck by fallen trees and debris. Several school districts announced closures for Monday due to ongoing cleanup and power restoration efforts. No widespread fatalities were immediately reported, though local authorities cautioned residents to avoid travel and downed wires.
The storm system is part of a pattern of volatile early spring weather. Utility crews from unaffected regions were being mobilized to assist in restoration, with companies estimating power could be out for multiple days in the hardest-hit areas.
