The invention discloses a power grid timing sequence recovery optimization method of considering potential damage probability of elements. According to the method, power grid recovery is carried out by a timing sequence recovery strategy aiming at the problem that a natural disaster can cause a widespread power failure and bring a potential damage to a power element. Within each recovery time frame, unit startup sequence optimization and path recovery sequence optimization are carried out step by step. In the first step, the unit startup sequence is optimized employing the maximum system generating capacity within the power grid recovery time as the target; and in the second step, the path recovery sequence is optimized, and transmission component damage probability model and recovery time model are built. The unit startup sequence optimization in the first step and the path recovery sequence optimization in the second step are associated with each other through path operation time, so that consistency optimization of two targets is effectively achieved. The power grid timing sequence recovery optimization method considers the potential damage probability conditions, with different degrees, of transmission components such as a circuit and a transformer, and simultaneously forms a power grid recovery scheme of a timing sequence to guide practice, so that the method has higher practical significance.