Alaska windstorm outages: MEA reports 604 members still without power
MEA reported 604 members still without electricity at 9:20 p.m. Alaska daylight time on October 30, 2026, with additional crews continuing restoration overnight. Earlier that evening, just under 1,900 members remained off; more than 13,500 had been reported without power at 6:25 a.m. during widespread windstorm outages. These dated figures cover MEA members and do not establish the current number affected across Alaska.
Status of this incident
Current status unconfirmed
Last known status: partly restored · MEA reported 604 members still without power on October 30 at 9:20 p.m. AKDT, with additional crews working overnight; current address-level supply remains unverified.
Source moment: Oct 31, 2026, 05:20 AM UTC (09:20 PM local time)
In 20 seconds
More than 13,500 MEA members were reported without power at 6:25 a.m. AKDT on October 30.
MEA reported 604 members still off at 9:20 p.m. AKDT, after just under 1,900 in the 7:50 p.m. update.
Birchwood feeder work was expected to restore about 700 members; completion was unconfirmed.
MEA reports progress after widespread interruptions
MEA’s morning and evening updates show a reduction in the reported number of members without electricity: from more than 13,500 at 6:25 a.m. to just under 1,900 at 7:50 p.m., then 604 at 9:20 p.m. These snapshots do not establish how long any individual address was without power or whether the same members were affected throughout.
The incident record covers MEA service territory in Alaska, including Eagle River, Birchwood and Chugiak, the Mat-Su Valley and Willow. Those place names describe the area under review. They do not establish that every property in each community lost supply. MEA’s member counts should not be converted into a population total.
What the sources tell us, and what they do not
- Area
- MEA service territory, Alaska; not an Alaska-wide outage count
- Evening snapshot
- 604 MEA members without power at 9:20 p.m. AKDT, October 30
- Restoration
- Additional crews continuing overnight restoration; no territory-wide all-clear
Birchwood restoration remained conditional
MEA expected re-energizing a Birchwood feeder to restore approximately 700 members. The operator also described roughly 235 remaining members subject to a conditional forecast of another 60–90 minutes. These were planned steps and estimates, not confirmation that either group had been reconnected. No completed Birchwood restoration is inferred from that forecast.
The latest explicit update, 9:20 p.m. AKDT on October 30, corresponds to 05:20 UTC on October 31. MEA said additional crews were continuing restoration overnight. The original posting clock and exact outage onset remain unverified. Continued work does not supply a guaranteed completion time for the territory.
What remains unknown
The available evidence does not establish a final restoration time or current supply at each address. Chugach counts in local reporting come from different observation times and are not added to MEA’s evening total. There is no confirmed all-clear for Alaska. For household planning, see the grid-down essentials guide, internet backup guide and runtime calculator.