Mercer County Power Outage History
2014–2025 · Illinois
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. How grades are calculated
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2019 | 40 hrs | 6,907 (68%) | Unnamed event |
| Oct 22, 2015 | 3 hrs | 6,308 (62%) | Unnamed event |
| Jan 2, 2019 | 1 hrs | 6,182 (61%) | Unnamed event |
| Dec 28, 2015 | 57 hrs | 5,927 (59%) | Tornado |
| Jan 1, 2021 | 2 hrs | 5,250 (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).
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Similar counties in Illinois
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Mercer County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Stark County | F | 13th |
| Henderson County | F | 19th |
| Marshall County | D | 22nd |
| Putnam County | D | 26th |
| Edgar County | D | 29th |
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.

