Dorchester CountyPower Outage History
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.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2020 | 27 hrs | 7,837 (35%) | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| Jan 29, 2025 | 3 hrs | 6,528 (29%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 2, 2017 | 2 hrs | 5,611 (25%) | Heavy Rain |
| Jul 1, 2021 | 9 hrs | 4,905 (22%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Aug 18, 2016 | 4 hrs | 4,138 (19%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Dorchester County, Maryland that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Dorchester County recorded 452 distinct power outage events, averaging 1.6 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Dorchester County started August 4, 2020 (Tropical Storm Isaias), lasting 27 hours and leaving up to 7,837 customers without power (35% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Dorchester County, with 66 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Dorchester County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 83rd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Maryland
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Dorchester County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Talbot County | A | 84th |
| St. Mary's County | A | 81st |
| Charles County | A | 80th |
| Kent County | A | 86th |
| Queen Anne's County | B | 79th |
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 Dorchester County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Dorchester County recorded 452 outage events, averaging 1.6 hours each.
What is Dorchester County's reliability grade?
Dorchester County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 83rd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Dorchester County?
The worst outage on record started August 4, 2020 (Tropical Storm Isaias), lasting 27 hours and affecting up to 7,837 customers.