Power Outage Information

LIPA maintenance programs, such as line clearance and state-of-the-art line monitoring, have resulted in the highest reliability ratings in New York State. Even so, Mother Nature and other events can cause power outages. Let us help to ensure the comfort and safety of your family during electric outages or other emergencies.

Report an Outage- (800) 490-0075  | View Current Outages

What is a momentary interruption?
Many times contact with a power line only lasts a fraction of a second and our relay system automatically restarts the flow of electricity. This wasn’t a concern to homeowners for many years, but today a split-second loss of power is sometimes just enough to upset sensitive digital equipment and home computers. Clocks on microwaves, VCRs, DVD players etc., blink from time to time because they are sensitive enough to detect momentary power interruptions. Look for appliances that have a battery backup to prevent this inconvenience. Usually, these interruptions will not damage your sensitive equipment, however, it is a good idea to install surge suppression equipment to protect sensitive electronics such as computers and communications equipment. Learn how to protect your sensitive home electronics here. - Learn More

What is a power outage?
A power outage occurs anytime there is a loss of electricity; momentarily or for a longer period of time. Studies show that the top four causes of power outages in our area are:

  • Storms (lightning, high winds, ice, snow and rain)
  • Trees and branches (contacting electric lines)
  • Accidents (cars hitting poles)
  • Equipment failure (from corrosion, wear and aging parts)
  • The protective relay equipment on our power lines works like the circuit breakers in your home and safely and automatically cuts off power.

Automatically shutting off the power means everyone who is fed electricity by that part of the network loses power. Once we locate the trouble spot, many customers can be restored to service even as repairs are being completed. Back to top

How do I report an outage if one occurs?
If your power is out call 1-800-490-0075. To minimize some of the inconvenience power outages cause, we’ve developed a computer program that allows LIPA to provide information on approximately how long will take to restore power to your home. Outages can reported quickly through our automated system, accessing the address of the outage by using your telephone number. Make sure the phone number on your account is correct your address. It is essential for accurate reporting. Back to top

What do I do with my food after an extended power outage?
If you have any questions about the safety of defrosted foods, please visit our Food Preservation section.

How does electricity get to my home?
Electricity travels to your home through a sophisticated network of power lines. These lines branch out from power plants and channel the flow of electricity to homes and businesses in the Long Island community. Back to top

How does weather affect power lines?
Long Island is surrounded by water and has many wooded areas. Many of our established neighborhoods have large trees planted years – even decades – ago that now envelope the power lines. This puts our electric system at risk for storms and damage caused by falling branches and trees.

During late summer and early autumn, we face the full brunt of Atlantic-based hurricanes. From spring to fall, Canadian cold fronts can lead to violent thunderstorms, lightning and high winds. Winter brings the additional threat of heavy snowstorms and icing. Long Island is also vulnerable to “Nor’easter” storms... rain, snow, and high winds. Storms can wreak havoc on our electric system. Because Long Island has so many trees growing near power lines, ice, wind, and heavy rain can make tree branches sag or fall on LIPA wires causing power outages. Back to top

Why doesn't LIPA put all its power lines underground?
Placing electric wires underground would reduce the total numbers of outages, but at a very high cost to customers. Such a massive project would take over 30 years to complete at an estimated cost of $25 billion. In addition, problems with underground cables take two to three times longer to locate and repair than overhead wires. Where practical, we do install underground cable in new housing developments. Back to top

Last Updated: 10/02/2009