Over 4.5 years, we studied 53 storms to assess stream metabolism's resistance to change and resilience (recover capacity). Resistance was low, as storms easily disrupted metabolism, with energy consumption rising in larger events. Resilience decreased with storm size, prolonging recovery, but stabilized after 6 d. While storms temporarily boost activity, larger ones hinder recovery. Our findings highlight how changing storm patterns could alter stream health and their role in nutrient cycles.