Bristol CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Better than average — fewer or shorter outages than most counties. This county's outage history is better than the national median: recorded outages are less frequent and/or shorter in duration than a typical US county experienced over the same 12-year period. It isn't in the top tier nationally, but its track record points to lower-than-average outage risk.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2021 | 21 hrs | 105,218 (18%) | High Wind |
| Mar 2, 2018 | 80 hrs | 71,353 (12%) | High Wind |
| Oct 27, 2021 | 16 hrs | 58,072 (10%) | High Wind |
| Jan 29, 2022 | 14 hrs | 43,126 (7%) | Winter Storm |
| Jul 3, 2025 | 2 hrs | 38,360 (7%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Bristol County, Massachusetts that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Bristol County recorded 1,561 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.3 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Bristol County started October 27, 2021 (High Wind), lasting 21 hours and leaving up to 105,218 customers without power (18% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in Bristol County, with 161 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Bristol County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 78th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Massachusetts
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Bristol County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Hampden County | B | 79th |
| Norfolk County | B | 73rd |
| Franklin County | A | 85th |
| Berkshire County | A | 89th |
| Dukes County | B | 67th |
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 Bristol County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Bristol County recorded 1,561 outage events, averaging 2.3 hours each.
What is Bristol County's reliability grade?
Bristol County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 78th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Bristol County?
The worst outage on record started October 27, 2021 (High Wind), lasting 21 hours and affecting up to 105,218 customers.