Des Moines, Iowa Power Outage Today

How reliable is MidAmerican Energy service in Des Moines?

MidAmerican Energy is an investor-owned utility with 740,347 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 1.27 interruptions and 219 minutes (about 3.7 hours) without power, so the average outage lasted about 2.9 hours.

About 60% of that time came on major event days, the severe-weather days that utilities report separately. On ordinary days the average falls to 88 minutes. A handful of severe-weather days, not everyday faults, set this utility’s year.

The typical outage was repaired in about 2.9 hours.

For comparison, Iowa as a whole averaged 167 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts MidAmerican Energy above the state average.

Among the 17 utilities in Iowa with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, MidAmerican Energy ranks 15th for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 46% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

These are the figures the utility itself reported to the US Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-861, 2024) and describe the whole service territory, not one street. Your own address can be better or worse.

Storm season and outages in Des Moines

NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 775 storm reports for Polk County from 2015 through 2025, most often heavy rain (248), thunderstorm wind (209), hail (171), and flood (56). The busiest full year was 2018 with 134 reports and the quietest was 2023 with 14, so the risk changes a lot from one year to the next.

Reports peak in June (212 since 2015), followed by July and May. October is outside those three months, so an outage now is less likely to be weather-related.

NOAA’s own narratives name power outages in 11 storm episodes in Polk County since 2015, most often in May. That count is a floor, since the database records outages only when a spotter or agency mentions them.

What the most common storm types in Des Moines do to the grid:

• Thunderstorm wind. Straight-line wind pushes trees and limbs into distribution lines. These outages are usually local, a street or a neighborhood at a time, and crews clear them circuit by circuit.
• Heavy rain. Saturated ground topples shallow-rooted trees onto lines, and standing water slows crews trying to reach the damage.
• Flood. Floodwater reaches ground-level transformers, meters and low-lying substations. Utilities may shut power off ahead of the water on purpose, and wading near flooded equipment can electrocute.

Storm reports that name Des Moines

Within Polk County, 229 NOAA storm reports since 2015 name Des Moines as their location or in their description: thunderstorm wind (68), heavy rain (49), flood (45), and hail (40). That is about 30% of the county’s reports. Reports naming Des Moines are most common in June. The busiest full year was 2019 with 45. These reports record 1 death and 1 injury in total.

In NOAA’s own words, storms that left Des Moines without power:

• July 31, 2024 (thunderstorm wind): “Multiple reports of tree damage and power outages throughout the Des Moines metro and surrounding areas.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• August 7, 2022 (thunderstorm wind): “Public and Law enforcement tweets about multiple trees down, including pulling down power lines, mainly on the east side of the Des Moines metro.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• May 17, 2017 (thunderstorm wind): “Emergency manager reported multiple trees and power lines down in West Des Moines along Ashworth Rd.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database

Who a power outage hits hardest in Des Moines

64.1% of occupied homes in Des Moines are heated with piped natural gas, and 33.1% with electricity (US 41.3% electric). A gas furnace still needs electricity for its blower and ignition, so a long winter outage leaves these homes cold too, though a gas supply stays on when the grid fails. Never heat a home with an oven, grill or camp stove indoors.

Residents aged 65 or older are 12.7% of the population in Des Moines, below the US share of 17.2% and 14.3% report a disability (US 13.3%). These are the households most likely to depend on powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and refrigerated medicine. If someone in your home does, ask MidAmerican Energy whether it keeps a priority or medical-needs list, and register before the next storm rather than during it.

About the housing: 58.5% of the housing in Des Moines was built before 1970 (US 35.5%), and older neighborhoods often have overhead service lines and mature trees close to the wires, which makes them more exposed to storm outages; 18.8% of homes are in buildings with 20 or more units (US 10.3%), where an outage also stops elevators and water pumps, which matters for upper floors and anyone who cannot use stairs.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (housing, heating fuel, age and disability tables).

Backup power and electricity use in Des Moines

The average MidAmerican Energy home used about 791 kWh a month in 2024 (US average 892 kWh), an average draw of 1.1 kW around the clock, and paid about 11.0 cents per kWh (13.4 in the state, 15.8 nationally), roughly $87 a month.

Keeping only the essentials on (a refrigerator, router, a few lights and phone chargers, about 400 watts) through an outage that lasts the average about 2.9 hours takes about 1.1 kWh. A portable power station or a power bank covers that; a generator is more than most households here need for a typical outage.

A generator must never run indoors, in a garage or near a window; generator and food-safety rules are in the power outage guide linked below.

If the power is out in Des Moines

About 214,237 people live in Des Moines, the largest of the 5 Iowa cities on this site. Report the outage to the utility so a ticket exists for your address, then check MidAmerican Energy’s outage map for an estimate. If neighbors have power and you do not, report it again: the fault may be on the line to your house alone, which is a separate repair.

Des Moines power outage map

MidAmerican Energy’s outage map has the official restoration estimate for your address; the count above comes from residents. Food and generator safety: power outage guide.

Des Moines power outage questions