PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
A
Top tier
2015-2025
Missouri

Polk CountyPower Outage History

20152025 · Missouri
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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.

Takeaway
Low outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide87th pct
In Missouri#25 of 115
See full Missouri rankings →
Total events
421
Recorded 2015–2025
Avg duration
2.1 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
31 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
26,960
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Apr 21, 20225 hrs3,680 (14%)Hail
Mar 20, 20222 hrs3,377 (13%)Unnamed event
Mar 18, 20213 hrs3,342 (12%)Flood
Jun 26, 20184 hrs3,335 (12%)Thunderstorm Wind
Nov 12, 2015<1 hr3,258 (12%)Unnamed event

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Polk County, Missouri that day.

Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Polk County recorded 421 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.1 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Polk County started April 21, 2022 (Hail), lasting 5 hours and leaving up to 3,680 customers without power (14% of the county) at its peak.

June has historically been the worst month for outages in Polk County, with 53 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Polk County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 87th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in Missouri

Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Polk County.

CountyGradeNational percentile
Scott CountyA87th
St. Charles CountyA88th
Shelby CountyA86th
Wright CountyA86th
Randolph CountyA86th

Most reliable counties nationally

The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

CountyStateGradeNational percentile
Clay CountySouth DakotaA100th
Clearwater CountyMinnesotaA99th
Limestone CountyAlabamaA99th

Least reliable counties nationally

The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

FAQ

How often does power go out in Polk County?

Between 2015 and 2025, Polk County recorded 421 outage events, averaging 2.1 hours each.

What is Polk County's reliability grade?

Polk County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 87th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Polk County?

The worst outage on record started April 21, 2022 (Hail), lasting 5 hours and affecting up to 3,680 customers.

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Data: ORNL EAGLE-I Recorded Electricity Outages (2014–2025), CC BY 4.0. Storm names: NOAA Storm Events Database. Last data refresh: 2025. See methodology.