Columbia CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2023 | 57 hrs | 20,477 (54%) | Heat |
| Jan 16, 2022 | 4 hrs | 15,149 (40%) | Winter Weather |
| Jul 10, 2018 | <1 hr | 15,013 (39%) | Excessive Heat |
| Mar 14, 2023 | 66 hrs | 14,161 (37%) | Winter Storm |
| Jun 29, 2021 | 20 hrs | 13,758 (36%) | Heat |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Columbia County, New York that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Columbia County recorded 918 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Columbia County started September 8, 2023 (Heat), lasting 57 hours and leaving up to 20,477 customers without power (54% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Columbia County, with 104 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Columbia County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 13th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in New York
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Columbia County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Essex County | F | 13th |
| Chenango County | F | 12th |
| Warren County | F | 11th |
| Schuyler County | F | 15th |
| Sullivan County | F | 10th |
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 Columbia County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Columbia County recorded 918 outage events, averaging 3.8 hours each.
What is Columbia County's reliability grade?
Columbia County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 13th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Columbia County?
The worst outage on record started September 8, 2023 (Heat), lasting 57 hours and affecting up to 20,477 customers.