Nevada CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2019 | 8 hrs | 53,330 (77%) | Wildfire |
| Oct 29, 2019 | 3 hrs | 53,330 (77%) | Wildfire |
| Oct 30, 2019 | 2 hrs | 53,328 (77%) | Wildfire |
| Oct 30, 2019 | 3 hrs | 53,328 (77%) | Wildfire |
| Oct 30, 2019 | <1 hr | 53,328 (77%) | Wildfire |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Nevada County, California that day.
Over the 8 years from 2018 to 2025, Nevada County recorded 1,137 distinct power outage events, averaging 4.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Nevada County started October 29, 2019 (Wildfire), lasting 8 hours and leaving up to 53,330 customers without power (77% of the county) at its peak.
October has historically been the worst month for outages in Nevada County, with 198 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Nevada County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 2nd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in California
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Nevada County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Lake County | F | 2nd |
| Alpine County | F | 2nd |
| El Dorado County | F | 2nd |
| Butte County | F | 1st |
| Tuolumne County | F | 1st |
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 Nevada County?
Between 2018 and 2025, Nevada County recorded 1,137 outage events, averaging 4.0 hours each.
What is Nevada County's reliability grade?
Nevada County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 2nd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Nevada County?
The worst outage on record started October 29, 2019 (Wildfire), lasting 8 hours and affecting up to 53,330 customers.