Bureau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2020 | 81 hrs | 7,252 (34%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 24 hrs | 5,850 (27%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Nov 26, 2018 | 34 hrs | 4,102 (19%) | Blizzard |
| Feb 12, 2019 | 37 hrs | 3,667 (17%) | Ice Storm |
| Jul 12, 2020 | 12 hrs | 3,417 (16%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Bureau County, Illinois that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Bureau County recorded 394 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.4 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Bureau County started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 81 hours and leaving up to 7,252 customers without power (34% of the county) at its peak.
April has historically been the worst month for outages in Bureau County, with 42 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Bureau County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 50th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Illinois
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Bureau County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Knox County | C | 50th |
| Saline County | C | 51st |
| Jo Daviess County | C | 50th |
| Logan County | C | 50th |
| Piatt County | C | 52nd |
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 Bureau County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Bureau County recorded 394 outage events, averaging 3.4 hours each.
What is Bureau County's reliability grade?
Bureau County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 50th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Bureau County?
The worst outage on record started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 81 hours and affecting up to 7,252 customers.