PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
A
Top tier
2015-2025
Iowa

Cherokee CountyPower Outage History

20152025 · Iowa
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What this grade means

Top 20% most reliable nationally — infrequent, short outages. This county ranks in the most reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset, based on 12 years of real DOE outage records: outages happen less often here, and when they do occur they tend to be resolved quickly compared to the rest of the country. Baseline outage risk is low, though a severe local storm can still occasionally cause a longer-than-usual outage regardless of the long-term track record.

Takeaway
Low outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide87th pct
In Iowa#13 of 99
See full Iowa rankings →
Total events
195
Recorded 2015–2025
Avg duration
2.6 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
28 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
8,540
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Mar 19, 20256 hrs3,081 (36%)Thunderstorm Wind
Dec 26, 20165 hrs2,379 (28%)High Wind
Apr 5, 2017<1 hr2,355 (28%)Unnamed event
Jun 16, 20259 hrs1,889 (22%)Hail
Feb 26, 20217 hrs1,772 (21%)Drought

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Cherokee County, Iowa that day.

Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Cherokee County recorded 195 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.6 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Cherokee County started March 19, 2025 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 6 hours and leaving up to 3,081 customers without power (36% of the county) at its peak.

July has historically been the worst month for outages in Cherokee County, with 31 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Cherokee County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 87th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in Iowa

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

CountyGradeNational percentile
Union CountyA87th
Jackson CountyA87th
Buena Vista CountyA87th
Plymouth CountyA88th
Osceola CountyA88th

Most reliable counties nationally

The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

CountyStateGradeNational percentile
Clay CountySouth DakotaA100th
Clearwater CountyMinnesotaA99th
Limestone CountyAlabamaA99th

Least reliable counties nationally

The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

FAQ

How often does power go out in Cherokee County?

Between 2015 and 2025, Cherokee County recorded 195 outage events, averaging 2.6 hours each.

What is Cherokee County's reliability grade?

Cherokee County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 87th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Cherokee County?

The worst outage on record started March 19, 2025 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 6 hours and affecting up to 3,081 customers.

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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.