Appalachian power grids were hit hard by Hurricane Helene. But there's a silver lining

Hurricane Helene, which hit regions considered climate havens, exposed vulnerabilities in America’s power grids, renewing focus on their resilience against catastrophic weather events fueled by climate change.

The storm exposed a dramatic miscalculation of risk factors, with flooding posing serious threats to electrical infrastructure that wasn't adequately prepared, highlighting gaps in current power grid resilience.

Power outages affected over 2 million customers, and while over 90% of service was restored quickly, remaining outages involve complex repairs that could take many weeks.

The Gulf of Mexico's warm waters fueled Hurricane Helene's unexpected intensity, causing an unprecedented impact in inland areas not typically considered hurricane-prone, questioning existing preparedness.

Read at Fast Company