Highlands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2017 | 231 hrs | 52,875 (82%) | Hurricane Irma |
| Oct 9, 2024 | 141 hrs | 51,117 (79%) | Hurricane Milton |
| Sep 28, 2022 | 136 hrs | 50,689 (78%) | Hurricane Ian |
| Nov 19, 2025 | <1 hr | 9,492 (15%) | Unnamed event |
| Nov 17, 2014 | <1 hr | 8,974 (14%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Highlands County, Florida that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Highlands County recorded 982 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Highlands County started September 10, 2017 (Hurricane Irma), lasting 231 hours and leaving up to 52,875 customers without power (82% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Highlands County, with 133 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Highlands County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 3rd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Florida
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Highlands County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | F | 3rd |
| Dixie County | F | 4th |
| Hamilton County | F | 1st |
| Charlotte County | F | 4th |
| Taylor County | F | 5th |
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 Highlands County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Highlands County recorded 982 outage events, averaging 2.0 hours each.
What is Highlands County's reliability grade?
Highlands County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 3rd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Highlands County?
The worst outage on record started September 10, 2017 (Hurricane Irma), lasting 231 hours and affecting up to 52,875 customers.