Palo Alto CountyPower Outage History
2015–2025 · Iowa
Top 20% most reliable nationally — infrequent, short outages.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16, 2021 | 33 hrs | 2,263 (37%) | Winter Storm |
| Aug 1, 2016 | 2 hrs | 2,260 (37%) | Unnamed event |
| May 21, 2024 | 2 hrs | 2,238 (36%) | Hail |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 2 hrs | 2,190 (36%) | Unnamed event |
| Feb 8, 2019 | <1 hr | 1,731 (28%) | Blizzard |
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Palo Alto County recorded 210 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Palo Alto County started December 16, 2021 (Winter Storm), lasting 33 hours and leaving up to 2,263 customers without power (37% of the county) at its peak.
September has historically been the worst month for outages in Palo Alto County, with 29 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Palo Alto County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 86th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Sized for Palo Alto County's outage profile
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Outage-prep kit
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Similar counties in Iowa
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Palo Alto County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux County | A | 86th |
| Kossuth County | A | 86th |
| Buena Vista County | A | 87th |
| Jackson County | A | 87th |
| Union County | A | 87th |
Most reliable counties in Iowa
The top 3 counties in Iowa by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Clay County | A | 97th |
| Emmet County | A | 95th |
| Bremer County | A | 94th |
Least reliable counties in Iowa
The bottom 3 counties in Iowa by reliability grade and percentile.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall County | F | 6th |
| Tama County | F | 12th |
| 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 Palo Alto County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Palo Alto County recorded 210 outage events, averaging 2.1 hours each.
What is Palo Alto County's reliability grade?
Palo Alto County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 86th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Palo Alto County?
The worst outage on record started December 16, 2021 (Winter Storm), lasting 33 hours and affecting up to 2,263 customers.