Burke County Power Outage History
2014–2025 · North Carolina
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. How grades are calculated
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | 243 hrs | 35,178 (60%) | Flash Flood |
| Oct 29, 2020 | 101 hrs | 10,129 (17%) | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| Nov 10, 2023 | 5 hrs | 7,646 (13%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 7, 2023 | 14 hrs | 5,654 (10%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Oct 23, 2017 | 82 hrs | 5,228 (9%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Burke County recorded 741 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.6 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Burke County started September 27, 2024 (Flash Flood), lasting 243 hours and leaving up to 35,178 customers without power (60% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in Burke County, with 95 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Burke County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 16th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
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Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Burke County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Watauga County | F | 15th |
| Mitchell County | F | 17th |
| Wilkes County | F | 17th |
| Hyde County | F | 14th |
| New Hanover County | F | 14th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Burke County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Burke County recorded 741 outage events, averaging 3.6 hours each.
What is Burke County's reliability grade?
Burke County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 16th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Burke County?
The worst outage on record started September 27, 2024 (Flash Flood), lasting 243 hours and affecting up to 35,178 customers.