A method for assessing survivability of a distributed automation power grid due to a failure including: identifying a location of a failed section of a grid and isolating the section; aggregating sections of the grid downstream from the failed section into a first group and sections of the grid upstream from the failed section into a second group; computing, using a Markov chain, a first parameter indicating whether a communication network of the grid is operational after the failure; computing, using a Markov chain, a second parameter indicating whether enough backup energy exists for the second group after the failure; and computing, using a Markov chain, a third parameter based on the first and second parameters, wherein the third parameter is indicative of the time required for the grid to be restored to its operating state prior to the failure, and the third parameter is computed by evaluating ESAIDI ⁡ ( τ ) = ∑ j = 1 C ⁢ ⁢ ϕ j ⁢ τ ⁡ ( M _ j ⁡ ( τ ) D _ j ⁡ ( τ ) ) .