Michigan homes lost power for 11 hours on average in 2025, federal data shows

Michigan homes were without electricity far longer than the U.S. average in 2025, according to federal reliability data, raising the risk of basement flooding when sump pumps fail during outages. A Shelby Township waterproofing contractor says battery backups can buy hours, but multi-day outages often require a generator or water-powered system.

Why it matters: - Michigan customers averaged 671.5 minutes without power in 2025, or a little more than 11 hours. - The U.S. average was 262.6 minutes, under four and a half hours. - Only West Virginia had worse outage times, according to federal reliability data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. - Longer outages raise the odds of basement flooding when a sump pump loses electricity.

What happened: - Imad "Matt" Mansour, owner of Mansour's Innovations in Shelby Township, said summer storms routinely knock out power while sump pumps are still needed. - Mansour said his crews see basements in Shelby Township, Macomb, Rochester Hills and Troy where the main pump was working but the outage lasted long enough to stop it. - The July 3 storms led the Michigan Public Service Commission to open an investigation after more than 1,500 complaints. - DTE Electric reported 492,000 customer outages and Consumers Energy reported 276,000 outages during the storms. - DTE said in its response to regulators, as reported by WDIV Local 4, that it restored power to 44 percent of affected customers within 24 hours and 99 percent within 4.6 days.

The details: - A battery backup sump pump sits in the pit above the main pump and takes over when the main pump stops because of a power cut, a failed pump or excess water. - Most backup pumps sound an alarm when they activate. - A good battery can support several hours of on-and-off pumping. - Mansour said a backup is meant to hold the line, not replace the main pump. - Mansour said a battery backup can cover a typical storm outage, but not a three-day outage. - Mansour said a generator or a water-powered unit is needed for longer outages. - Mansour's crews install and service sump systems across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. - The company recommends testing a backup twice a year by unplugging the main pump, pouring a bucket of water into the pit and confirming the backup and alarm work. - Backup batteries usually last three to five years. - A water-powered backup runs on city water pressure instead of a battery and can keep working as long as water pressure remains. - A water-powered backup needs a backflow preventer, and most local cities require a permit for that. - A water-powered backup will not work on a well because the well pump also loses power. - A standby generator with an automatic transfer switch can keep the main pump running while fuel lasts. - A generator does not help if the pump itself fails, so many homes keep a backup pump even with a generator. - A discharge line that empties next to the foundation can send water back toward the basement. - No backup can solve a drainage problem if water is entering the basement in places the pit cannot reach.

Between the lines: - Michigan's outage exposure makes sump-pump planning more than a convenience issue for homeowners with basements. - The hardest part is matching the backup system to the kind of outage a neighborhood actually gets. - Battery systems buy time, but the state’s longer outage history makes whole-home or water-powered options more relevant for some households. - Mansour's warning on drainage underscores that equipment alone cannot fix every basement flooding problem.

What's next: - Mansour's Innovations has published a free homeowner guide covering battery, water-powered and dual-pump backups. - The company also shares sump pump installation information and county-by-county basement flooding data for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. - Homeowners facing repeated outages may need to decide before the next storm whether a battery backup, water-powered unit or standby generator fits their risk level.

The bottom line: - In Michigan, power loss can outlast a sump pump backup, so the right protection depends on how long outages last and whether the basement drainage system is working at all.