Use your utility’s outage information to Explore US Outage Information
Use a national outage-information site as an exploratory starting point, then verify any local report with the electric utility.
Begin with the area you want to understand
When looking at a public outage-information site, start by identifying the state or locality relevant to your question. A national view can provide context for where reported outages appear, but it may not answer whether a particular address has lost power. Treat the display as a starting point for exploration, not as a promise of complete or immediate local coverage.
For instance, if you are checking on a relative in Los Angeles, a broad map may help you notice whether reports are appearing in the region. It does not establish that the relative's block is affected, when service will return, or whether the utility has confirmed an incident.
Read the display carefully
Check what the site says its figures represent, the time associated with the information, and whether you can narrow the view by location. If the page presents counts or a map, note the geographic unit and timestamp before comparing one place with another. A count can change as reports are added, resolved, or refreshed.
Avoid treating a blank area as proof that service is uninterrupted. Information can be delayed, aggregated, or unavailable at a particular level. Likewise, a cluster of reports does not necessarily describe the cause or scale of a single incident.
Confirm a local issue with the utility
For a specific home or business, check the electric utility's own outage page or contact channel. Use the service address or account information if requested, and compare any utility notice with what you can observe at the property. If the utility offers an incident number or estimated restoration window, record when you saw it; estimates can change as crews assess conditions.
If you see a downed wire or another immediate hazard, stay away and contact the appropriate emergency or utility reporting channel. A public information site is not a substitute for reporting a safety concern directly.
Use the information to make a practical decision
Suppose a national site shows reports in a county, while the utility's address-specific checker shows no interruption at your building. The address-specific utility information is the useful source for deciding whether to report a local outage; continue checking official updates if conditions change. If both show an issue, note the time and follow the utility's instructions about restoration updates.
Use your electric utility’s outage map and incident updates to confirm a local outage. Record the time of the latest update and confirm that the affected area includes your address.
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