# What's the longest you've been without electricity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844 "2023-01-07T17:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/61 "2023-01-08T09:29:57Z")
When I was around 8 or 9 my dad couldn’t pay the power bill and we went a number of days without any, maybe a week or two. I’m having a hard time remember exactly how long. This was during a mild time of year in southern California so no issues temperature-wise. The part I hated most was that your day was effectively over once it got dark out. No reading, no TV, nothing. I remember flipping the light switch over and over thinking that this time, _this_ time, it’d turn the lights on. Apart from that, maybe a few hours at most due to a power outage. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/62 "2023-01-08T10:52:40Z")
7 or 8 days, following 2017’s Hurricane Irma (I know it was an I-name storm, so I’m pretty sure it was Irma). As the remnants came through Atlanta, a LOT of trees went down, and a lot of them in my area. I know we were home from work for most if not all of a work week, and when we went back, they opened the student rec center so those of us who still didn’t have power at home could have a hot shower if we wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/63 "2023-01-08T13:50:32Z")
11 days following Hurricane Isabelle. There were 22 downed utility poles on our road alone. Not many years later we were out 4 days after some kind of construction accident took down some poles with some kind of distribution function at the nearby intersection. Since we have well water and only electric heat, it was a big difficulty. I since bought a big generator. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/64 "2023-01-08T15:29:42Z")
Not sure I’ve ever gone more than 12 hours without electricity. (Minus camping or otherwise intentionally being in a place without electricity.) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/65 "2023-01-08T17:18:58Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > City people sometimes marvel at the stars you can see from here. But I have some memory of living out in the country back when few people had outdoor lights left on all night. Mine aren’t; but even in this rural area you can’t see anything all around the horizon except the accumulated light wash from houses and villages, including the ones twenty or thirty miles away. I’ve done a lot of camping in remote areas, and I love seeing the stars. Once, though, we could see the lights of Las Vegas on the horizon, and it really spoiled the illusion of being truly remote! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/66 "2023-01-08T17:22:11Z")
Quite some time ago, in the 1980s, I can’t remember exactly how long but it seemed like most of the week. The worst my daughter has suffered has been an hour or two. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/67 "2023-01-08T19:54:05Z")
A huge storm swept through Ohio in September of 2008 from the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Our power was out for a couple days. The biggest problem was that we had no water; we are on a well. So we had to buy jugs of water to fill up the toilets. I purchased a 4000 VA generator soon afterwards, and I now use it as a whole-house generator when the power goes out. Best money I’ve ever spent. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/68 "2023-01-08T19:59:10Z")
Max was about 24 hours here (Texas). Max without water was 4 days (2021). ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/69 "2023-01-09T01:27:14Z")
In mid-August, 2020, my neighborhood was in the burn zone of the LNU Complex fire(s). I was evacuated on Aug 17 and was sheltered in Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa. Even after I was able to return to my home (thankfully not destroyed) about two weeks later, I lived without electricity until about a week after Labor Day, as the line to my place had been burned and PG&E had a lot more to do than fix my situation. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2023, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/70 "2023-01-09T04:06:40Z")
I’ve been very lucky over the years - I think only about six hours, after a bad storm. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2023, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/71 "2023-01-09T04:29:14Z")
The longest I have every been unexpectedly without power has been less than 12 hours. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/72 "2023-01-09T19:57:12Z")
In Virginia about this time last year we were just getting our electricity back after 3-4 days. It was a big sticky snow storm with lots of wind, trees and powerlines down everywhere. My generator will run the fridge, led lights, and a space heater but it’s rough way to live. About 12 years ago we got hit with a 12" snow and then another 12" snow right before Christmas. I seem to remember power was out over 5 days for that one, the ground was so saturated with the melting snow that they had to manually replace power poles in the woods. A few years later the power company finally buried the powerlines down my road. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/73 "2023-01-10T14:48:07Z")
Hurricane Ike left us without electricity for seventeen days in September of 2008. Everyone ate well during the first week - the smell of grilling and barbecue filled the neighborhood and food was freely shared. I wasn’t the only one who had a full chest freezer. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2023, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/74 "2023-01-10T22:10:46Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > If we ever get a long and widespread power outage in/lasting into clear weather, I’m going to be the one outdoors yelling “Come out and look at all the stars!” I live in a rural area, but trees ruin my view of the stars, even on a powerless night. The canopy is so thick I almost never can see the moon from my yard. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/75 "2023-01-11T01:31:49Z")
Three weeks after Hurricane Irma and 18 days after Hurricane Georges. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/76 "2023-01-11T02:39:08Z")
Probably does not count, but I spent 4 months at a remote field site in the Antarctic with no electricity… ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/77 "2023-01-11T03:36:48Z")
Eight and a half months; then I was born. 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844/78 "2023-01-11T10:40:03Z")
Not quite in the sense of the OP but … When I was a little tacker, about 18 months old, my parents built their home on the property where there was no mains electricity. From Jan 1961 until the mains were connected in Oct 1963, during which time my two younger sisters arrived. Cooling from kerosene fridges or a Coolgardie safe, cooking on wood stoves, wooden fireplaces. A lighting plant shed produced enough DC current to run a 12V light in four rooms. No electrical appliances in the home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-youve-been-without-electricity/977844.md?page=3)