Tama 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 | 6,848 (81%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| May 23, 2024 | 2 hrs | 4,503 (53%) | Drought |
| Aug 8, 2021 | 5 hrs | 3,296 (39%) | Drought |
| Jun 25, 2022 | 2 hrs | 3,236 (38%) | Unnamed event |
| May 21, 2024 | 4 hrs | 3,235 (38%) | Drought |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Tama County, Iowa that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Tama County recorded 390 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Tama County started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 212 hours and leaving up to 6,848 customers without power (81% of the county) at its peak.
May has historically been the worst month for outages in Tama County, with 53 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Tama County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 12th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Iowa
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Tama County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | F | 14th |
| Poweshiek County | F | 15th |
| Linn County | F | 16th |
| Marshall County | F | 6th |
| Benton County | F | 18th |
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 Tama County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Tama County recorded 390 outage events, averaging 2.8 hours each.
What is Tama County's reliability grade?
Tama County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 12th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Tama County?
The worst outage on record started August 10, 2020 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 212 hours and affecting up to 6,848 customers.