Shelby CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2020 | 111 hrs | 59,216 (53%) | Tropical Storm |
| May 27, 2024 | 39 hrs | 39,965 (36%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Dec 8, 2017 | 38 hrs | 21,210 (19%) | Winter Storm |
| Jun 28, 2018 | 27 hrs | 17,930 (16%) | Lightning |
| Mar 25, 2021 | 57 hrs | 16,621 (15%) | Tornado |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Shelby County, Alabama that day.
Over the 9 years from 2017 to 2025, Shelby County recorded 1,351 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Shelby County started October 29, 2020 (Tropical Storm), lasting 111 hours and leaving up to 59,216 customers without power (53% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Shelby County, with 153 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Shelby County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 44th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Alabama
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Shelby County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Henry County | C | 44th |
| St. Clair County | C | 44th |
| Hale County | C | 46th |
| Blount County | C | 41st |
| Cullman County | C | 49th |
Most reliable counties nationally
The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | South Dakota | A | 100th |
| Clearwater County | Minnesota | A | 99th |
| Limestone County | Alabama | A | 99th |
Least reliable counties nationally
The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | State | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Lincoln County | West Virginia | F | 0th |
| Cameron Parish | Louisiana | F | 0th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Shelby County?
Between 2017 and 2025, Shelby County recorded 1,351 outage events, averaging 2.5 hours each.
What is Shelby County's reliability grade?
Shelby County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 44th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Shelby County?
The worst outage on record started October 29, 2020 (Tropical Storm), lasting 111 hours and affecting up to 59,216 customers.