Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2020 | 212 hrs | 10,178 (74%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 11, 2025 | 3 hrs | 2,555 (19%) | Tornado |
| Mar 19, 2015 | 2 hrs | 2,532 (18%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 26, 2016 | <1 hr | 2,482 (18%) | Hail |
| May 20, 2015 | 4 hrs | 2,244 (16%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Benton County, Iowa that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Benton County recorded 364 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Benton County started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 212 hours and leaving up to 10,178 customers without power (74% of the county) at its peak.
June has historically been the worst month for outages in Benton County, with 51 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Benton County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 18th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Iowa
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Benton County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Linn County | F | 16th |
| Greene County | D | 20th |
| Poweshiek County | F | 15th |
| Monroe County | D | 21st |
| Jasper County | F | 14th |
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 Benton County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Benton County recorded 364 outage events, averaging 2.8 hours each.
What is Benton County's reliability grade?
Benton County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 18th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Benton County?
The worst outage on record started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 212 hours and affecting up to 10,178 customers.