PowerOutageHistory
F

Chatham County Power Outage History

20142025 · North Carolina

Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. How grades are calculated

Total events
3,419
Avg duration
2.7 hrs
Longest outage
138 hrs
National percentile
19th

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Oct 28, 202023 hrs17,868 (38%)Hurricane Zeta
Oct 11, 2018104 hrs17,228 (37%)Tropical Storm Michael
Dec 23, 202229 hrs15,523 (33%)Unnamed event
Sep 30, 202255 hrs15,475 (33%)Hurricane Ian
Dec 28, 20181 hrs15,111 (32%)Unnamed event

Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Chatham County recorded 3,419 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.7 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Chatham County started October 28, 2020 (Hurricane Zeta), lasting 23 hours and leaving up to 17,868 customers without power (38% of the county) at its peak.

July has historically been the worst month for outages in Chatham County, with 409 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Chatham County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 19th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Sized for Chatham County's outage profile

See more picks in our Best Dual-Fuel Portable Generators for Power Outages roundup.

Outage-prep kit

See our outage-prep guides or the North Carolina storm prep checklist.

Similar counties in North Carolina

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

CountyGradeNational percentile
Caswell CountyF19th
Rockingham CountyF19th
Duplin CountyD20th
Scotland CountyD21st
Wilkes CountyF17th

FAQ

How often does power go out in Chatham County?

Between 2014 and 2025, Chatham County recorded 3,419 outage events, averaging 2.7 hours each.

What is Chatham County's reliability grade?

Chatham County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 19th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Chatham County?

The worst outage on record started October 28, 2020 (Hurricane Zeta), lasting 23 hours and affecting up to 17,868 customers.

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.