The blackout had a wide impact in the U.S. including shutting down 21 power plants, disrupting cell phone service, and affecting operations at hospitals, airports, and local governments.
The Memorial Day weekend storms that swept through East Texas and Western Louisiana caused widespread damage throughout Gregg, Harrison and Panola Counties along with DeSoto Parish in Louisiana. With high winds and two confirmed EF-1 tornadoes in the storm path, downed trees have caused a lot of damage to the power infrastructure.