Evaluating Multi-Weather Impacts on the U.S. Power Grid Reliability

The increasing frequency and complexity of weather-related power outages underscore the need to understand how diverse, concurrent weather phenomena impact power grid resilience. This study integrates the National Weather Service's weather advisory dataset with the EAGLE-I power outage dataset to analyze the interplay between weather events and grid reliability from 2018 to 2024. By examining frequency, likelihood, and outage severity (AUC), we holistically assess which single and combined weather phenomena most adversely affect the grid. Our findings reveal that combinations like Flood, Storm, and Tropical Cyclone, followed by Cold, Winter Weather and Flood, Tropical Cyclone, rank highest in impact due to their amplified likelihood and severity, even when rare. These multi-phenomena events significantly heighten outage risks, necessitating urgent response strategies when observed. While this national analysis highlights critical patterns, regional variations suggest future county-level studies to refine resilience measures. These insights advocate for targeted strategies to bolster grid resilience against complex, multi-phenomena weather events, prioritizing both frequent and rare but severe combinations.