Essex CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2018 | 91 hrs | 112,655 (25%) | High Wind |
| Oct 30, 2017 | 103 hrs | 78,644 (18%) | Tropical Storm Phillipe |
| Oct 17, 2019 | 83 hrs | 54,383 (12%) | Strong Wind |
| Mar 14, 2017 | 41 hrs | 43,083 (10%) | Blizzard |
| Oct 27, 2021 | 21 hrs | 43,048 (10%) | High Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Essex County, Massachusetts that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Essex County recorded 2,335 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Essex County started March 8, 2018 (High Wind), lasting 91 hours and leaving up to 112,655 customers without power (25% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Essex County, with 228 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Essex County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 50th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Massachusetts
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Essex County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Nantucket County | C | 47th |
| Plymouth County | C | 47th |
| Worcester County | C | 55th |
| Barnstable County | D | 37th |
| Middlesex County | B | 64th |
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 Essex County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Essex County recorded 2,335 outage events, averaging 2.8 hours each.
What is Essex County's reliability grade?
Essex County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 50th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Essex County?
The worst outage on record started March 8, 2018 (High Wind), lasting 91 hours and affecting up to 112,655 customers.