Howard CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
(How grades are calculated)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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2017 | 37 hrs | 4,909 (82%) | Tornado |
| Dec 16, 2021 | 43 hrs | 4,609 (77%) | Winter Storm |
| May 27, 2019 | 4 hrs | 2,447 (41%) | Tornado |
| Aug 7, 2022 | 6 hrs | 2,415 (40%) | Unnamed event |
| Apr 11, 2019 | 32 hrs | 2,268 (38%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Howard County, Iowa that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Howard County recorded 368 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.3 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Howard County started July 19, 2017 (Tornado), lasting 37 hours and leaving up to 4,909 customers without power (82% of the county) at its peak.
May has historically been the worst month for outages in Howard County, with 47 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Howard County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 54th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Iowa
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Howard County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Story County | C | 54th |
| Jefferson County | C | 52nd |
| Hardin County | C | 52nd |
| Van Buren County | C | 52nd |
| Worth County | C | 51st |
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 Howard County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Howard County recorded 368 outage events, averaging 2.3 hours each.
What is Howard County's reliability grade?
Howard County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 54th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Howard County?
The worst outage on record started July 19, 2017 (Tornado), lasting 37 hours and affecting up to 4,909 customers.