A Longitudinal Analysis of the Drivers of Power Outages During Hurricanes: A Case Study with Hurricane Isaac

In August 2012, Hurricane Isaac, a Category 1 hurricane at landfall, caused extensive power outages in Louisiana. The storm brought high winds, storm surge and flooding to Louisiana, and power outages were widespread and prolonged. Hourly power outage data for the state of Louisiana was collected during the storm and analyzed. This analysis included correlation of hourly power outage figures by zip code with wind, rainfall, and storm surge using a non-parametric ensemble data mining approach. Results were analyzed to understand how drivers for power outages differed geographically within the state. This analysis provided insight on how rainfall and storm surge, along with wind, contribute to power outages in hurricanes. By conducting a longitudinal study of outages at the zip code level, we were able to gain insight into the causal drivers of power outages during hurricanes. The results of this analysis can be used to better understand hurricane power outage risk and better prepare for future storms. It will also be used to improve the accuracy and robustness of a power outage forecasting model developed at Johns Hopkins University.

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