Naval Station’s ‘Nonstop’ Power Outages Leads Housing Operator to Blame Navy

Repeated power outages have left residents of military housing near Naval Station Norfolk, Va., in the dark and without air conditioning at sporadic times.

Some military families told local television station WVEC 13 News Now that the disruptions at Willoughby Bay and Breezy Point housing facilities have lasted hours, causing food to spoil without basic household electricity.

In a statement provided to Military.com, a spokesperson for Liberty Military Housing—which operates more than 1,600 military family homes within ten communities near Naval Station Norfolk—said the issues are the responsibility of the Navy.

“We want to clarify that the outages are related to the electrical infrastructure maintained by the Navy, which is responsible for maintaining its systems and restoring electrical service when outages occur,” Liberty Military Housing Regional Vice President Paris Cousin said in the statement. “The outages are not caused by or related to Liberty Military Housing’s operations.”

Military.com has reached out to the Navy for comment, asking about the extent of the outages and what plans are in place to address the problem. No response was received by press time.

A statement on Naval Station Norfolk’s Facebook page said the outages were storm-related, referencing the voluntary evacuation of some residents.

“Naval Station Norfolk continues to experience power outages impacting Willoughby Housing and other areas of the installation due to storms in the area,” the statement reads. “Dominion Energy is also reporting storm-related outages in areas of Norfolk, including Ghent and areas near downtown.

“Willoughby Housing has been added to the voluntary evacuation. Residents should follow guidance provided by Liberty Military Housing. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.”

Residents Complain of Sporadic Outages

One Navy sailor, Khareem Mckenley, who moved into Liberty Military Housing’s Willoughby Bay property in early 2025, told WVEC that the outages began shortly after he arrived.

“The first time we received a power outage when I just got here was in February 2025, and after that it’s been nonstop power outages,” Mckenley told WVEC 13 News Now, adding that he and his wife have lost hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries while living in the dark.

Brittany Green, who also lives in Willoughby Bay, told the outlet that some outages have lasted for several hours. Others have lasted much longer.

“It’s out for three hours, or it’s out for 12 or 15,” Green said. “Most recently, this week I can’t tell you what day the power has actually been on.”

Remedying a Consistent Problem

Cousin, in her statement, said Liberty Military Housing staff has been in communication with residents who have faced significant challenges and inconvenience.

“Throughout these disruptions, our teams have kept residents informed with timely updates as information has been provided by the Navy,” Cousin said. “We remain committed to supporting affected families by leveraging available resources and providing assistance whenever possible to help reduce the impact of these service interruptions.”

Naval Station Norfolk said its public works department is actively troubleshooting the outages and assessing the extent of the impact.

There has been no indication that the outages are the result of electrical demand from aircraft carriers or other ships, as some residents have speculated.

Instead, NSN maintains the recent outages have been traced to specific faults and failures within the installation’s electrical distribution infrastructure, requiring the replacement of approximately 1,300 feet of electrical cable along with other repairs.

Naval Station Norfolk is the world’s largest naval station, occupying approximately 3,400 acres of land in Hampton Roads, Va. It is also the home port to a wide variety of naval vessels, including aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, large amphibious ships and submarines.