Middlesex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2018 | 93 hrs | 148,898 (18%) | High Wind |
| Dec 18, 2023 | 67 hrs | 85,579 (11%) | High Wind |
| Oct 29, 2017 | 100 hrs | 66,566 (8%) | Tropical Storm Phillipe |
| May 29, 2015 | 5 hrs | 44,646 (6%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Mar 14, 2017 | 29 hrs | 44,504 (6%) | Drought |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Middlesex County, Massachusetts that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Middlesex County recorded 5,526 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.3 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Middlesex County started March 8, 2018 (High Wind), lasting 93 hours and leaving up to 148,898 customers without power (18% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Middlesex County, with 632 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Middlesex County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 64th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Massachusetts
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Middlesex County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Dukes County | B | 67th |
| Worcester County | C | 55th |
| Norfolk County | B | 73rd |
| Essex County | C | 50th |
| Bristol County | B | 78th |
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 Middlesex County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Middlesex County recorded 5,526 outage events, averaging 2.3 hours each.
What is Middlesex County's reliability grade?
Middlesex County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 64th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Middlesex County?
The worst outage on record started March 8, 2018 (High Wind), lasting 93 hours and affecting up to 148,898 customers.