Most Americans Worried About Impact of Power Outages

As more than 100 million Americans face dangerous temperatures under an expanding heat dome stretching from the West into the Midwest and parts of the East this week, new survey data from First Onsite Property Restoration shows how widespread concern about extreme weather has become. When asked about their concerns, 70% cited extreme heat as their top weather concern, with wildfire smoke (60%), drought (59%), and wildfires (52%) close behind.

Extreme heat concern is high across every region, ranging from 61% in the Northeast to 74% in the West. Half of Americans are concerned about tornadoes, rising to 76% in the Midwest, and 55% are concerned about flooding, with the highest concern in the Northeast at 59%. While concern is highest in the West (75% for wildfires, 81% for wildfire smoke and 72% for drought), these issues are increasingly affecting communities nationwide. Power outages are the top property-related concern in the survey, with 72% of Americans worried about the impact of outages.

Nearly one-third of Americans (30%) said they have personally experienced a weather-related disaster at their home or workplace in the past five years. Meanwhile:

• Only 54% feel personally prepared to respond to a weather-related emergency.
• Only 38% have an emergency kit prepared, dropping to just 30% in the Northeast and Midwest.
• Only 55% are confident in their local authorities’ ability to respond effectively.

Despite widespread concern about extreme weather, only 38% of Americans report having an emergency kit and just over half are prepared to respond to a weather emergency.