PowerOutageHistory
F

Mercer County Power Outage History

20142025 · Illinois

Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. How grades are calculated

Total events
546
Avg duration
3.9 hrs
Longest outage
531 hrs
National percentile
11th

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Feb 12, 201940 hrs6,907 (68%)Unnamed event
Oct 22, 20153 hrs6,308 (62%)Unnamed event
Jan 2, 20191 hrs6,182 (61%)Unnamed event
Dec 28, 201557 hrs5,927 (59%)Tornado
Jan 1, 20212 hrs5,250 (52%)Winter Storm

Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Mercer County recorded 546 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.9 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Mercer County started February 12, 2019, lasting 40 hours and leaving up to 6,907 customers without power (68% of the county) at its peak.

June has historically been the worst month for outages in Mercer County, with 64 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Mercer County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 11th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Sized for Mercer County's outage profile

See more picks in our Best Dual-Fuel Portable Generators for Power Outages roundup.

Outage-prep kit

See our outage-prep guides.

Similar counties in Illinois

Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Mercer County.

CountyGradeNational percentile
Stark CountyF13th
Henderson CountyF19th
Marshall CountyD22nd
Putnam CountyD26th
Edgar CountyD29th

FAQ

How often does power go out in Mercer County?

Between 2014 and 2025, Mercer County recorded 546 outage events, averaging 3.9 hours each.

What is Mercer County's reliability grade?

Mercer County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 11th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Mercer County?

The worst outage on record started February 12, 2019, lasting 40 hours and affecting up to 6,907 customers.

Data: ORNL EAGLE-I Recorded Electricity Outages (2014–2025), CC BY 4.0. Storm names: NOAA Storm Events Database. Last data refresh: 2025. See methodology.