Power outage

Persistent power outages have forced schools and workplaces to close and sparked concern for those who depend on insulin or oxygen.

Economists said the energy cutbacks could lead to long-term benefits, but the short-term economic disruptions would be substantial.

Fire officials were unclear exactly how the incident occurred, but the ensuing blaze charred several pieces of electrical equipment.

"As we move into those harder-hit areas, the effort to restore customers becomes greater," said Phillip May, chief executive of Entergy Louisiana.

On Monday, energy company Entergy announced that they had restored power to 48 percent of customers in Louisiana.

On Monday, Entergy, an energy company in New Orleans, said that some areas could experiences power outages "for weeks."

NOLA Ready, New Orleans' emergency preparedness campaign, urged residents who evacuated to not return "until further notice."

Ida hit near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, just before noon local time on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles an hour.

"Customers should be prepared for lengthy outages," warned a company official, adding, "Now's the time to prepare with your family."

"Our crews are in the field working hard to get the power back," said public utility Consumers Energy.

More than 850,000 outages were reported statewide as of Thursday morning.

Several storms have hit Michigan over the past week, causing power lines to be downed and roads to be closed amid flooding.

Emergency services officials urged residents of Wisconsin and Illinois to remain indoors as powerful storms battered the region on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

Widespread power outages in Florida come as areas of the state face high wind speeds and heavy rainfall as Tropical Storm Elsa moves closer to making landfall.

Portland International Airport reached a record-high 116 degrees on Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

A tornado that touched down in suburban Chicago late Sunday damaged more than 100 homes and left 19,000 without power.

Consumers Energy, another Michigan-based energy provider, reported 23,393 customers were affected by more than 500 outages as of Monday morning.

A Flex Alert advising residents to reduce their energy usage was issued amid the ongoing heat wave across parts of the country, with record-breaking temperatures reported this week.

California energy officials expressed "guarded optimism" that the state could avoid a new round of rolling blackouts amid summer heat waves, with temperatures in some areas of the state expected to approach 120 degrees on Thursday.

"The state's electric grid will be straining to meet evening demand when air conditioners are in heavy use and solar energy generation is waning," the California Independent System Operator said.

The 93-year-old Korean War veteran died at his Pittsburgh home after storms in western Pennsylvania led to widespread power outages.

SCE said that 166 reported outages left an estimated 19,000 SCE customers without service across the company's service area.

The mayor attacked Abbott for boasting about a business award while also ignoring a power company's recent alert that asked users to conserve energy.

Social media users are joking about the Republican senator taking a vacation, following the backlash he faced for flying to Cancun during Texas' winter storm in February.

The conservation alert comes only four months after the state plunged into a freezing blackout that left millions without power in winter storms that killed at least 150 people.

After the cat got stuck on top of a 32-foot utility pole, the town's power was shut off in order to safely bring the feline home.

Officials said a suspicious Sunday blackout at a major uranium enrichment facility was likely orchestrated by foreign actors seeking to disrupt Iran's controversial nuclear program.

The eagle, which died after touching the power line, was taken to the Washington State Patrol as it was a protected species.

More than 46,000 energy customers in Ohio are currently without power after the state was hit by a thunderstorm.

Wet weather is expected through the weekend, with the threat of flash flooding raised across the state through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.