Health Impacts of Citywide and Localized Power Outages in New York City

Abstract

Background: Previous studies investigated potential health effects of large-scale power outages, including the massive power failure that affected the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada, in August 2003, and outages associated with major storms. However, information on localized outages is limited.

Objective: The study sought to examine potential health impacts of citywide and localized outages in New York City (NYC).

Methods: Along with the citywide 2003 outage, localized outages in July 1999 and July 2006 were identified. We additionally investigated localized, warm- and cold-weather outages that occurred in any of 66 NYC electric-grid networks during 2002–2014 using New York State Public Service Commission data. Mortality and hospitalizations were geocoded and linked to the networks. Associations were estimated using Poisson time-series regression, including examining distributed lags and adjusting for temperature and temporal trends. Network-specific estimates were pooled by season.

Results: Respiratory disease hospitalizations were associated with the 2006 localized outage [cumulative relative risk [CRR] over 0–1 lag day, lag₀₁=2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08, 4.74)] and the 2003 citywide outage, but not with other localized, warm-weather outages. Renal disease hospitalizations were associated with the 2003 citywide outage, and with localized, warm-weather outages, pooled across networks [RR at lag₃=1.16 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.34)], but not the 2006 localized outage. All-cause mortality was positively associated with the 1999, 2003, and 2006 outages (significant for the 2003 outage only), but not with other localized, warm-weather outages. Localized, cold-weather outages were associated with all-cause mortality [lag₀₁ CRR=1.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.12)] and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations [lag₀₁ CRR=1.14 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.26)], and fewer respiratory disease hospitalizations [lag₀₃ CRR=0.77 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.97)].

Conclusions: Localized outages may affect health. This information can inform preparedness efforts and underscores the public health importance of ensuring electric grid resiliency to climate change. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2154.

Figure 1.

NYC networks affected by the three individual outages. The darker blue areas depict the networks that lost power during (A) the 14–15 August 2003 citywide outage; (B) the 6–7 July 1999 Washington Heights outage; and (C) the July 17–26, 2006 Long Island City outage. Source: New York State Public Service Commission (2015) and NYC Office of Emergency Management.

Figure 2.

NYC networks impacted by outages included in pooled analysis. The darker blue areas depict the maximum number of networks identified as having (A) warm-weather outages ($n=18$); and (B) cold-weather outages ($n=34$). Source: New York State Public Service Commission (2015).

Figure 3.

Associations of the 1999 Washington Heights outage, 2003 citywide outage, and 2006 Long Island City outage with (A) all-cause mortality; and (B) nonexternal-cause mortality. Cumulative relative risks (CRR) and confidence intervals (CI) are shown for all lag periods. Regression models adjusted for temperature effects, day of week, holiday, year, within-season temporal trends, and 11 Sept. 2001 (1999 WH and 2003 citywide outages only). 14–15 Aug. 2003 (citywide outage) was excluded from the 2006 LIC outage analysis.

Figure 4.

Associations of the 2003 citywide outage and 2006 Long Island City outage with (A) respiratory hospitalizations; (B) cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalizations; and (C) renal hospitalizations. Cumulative (CRR) and individual (RR) relative risks and confidence intervals (CI) are shown for all lag periods. Regression models adjusted for temperature effects, day of week, holiday, year, within-season temporal trends, and 11 Sept. 2001 (2003 citywide outage only). 14–15 Aug. 2003 (citywide outage) was excluded from the 2006 LIC outage analysis.