Dare CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Worse than average — more frequent or longer outages than most counties. This county's recorded history shows more frequent outages and/or longer restoration times than most US counties over the same 12-year period. If you live here, it's worth taking backup power more seriously than an average household would.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2019 | 65 hrs | 31,918 (80%) | Hurricane Dorian |
| Oct 9, 2016 | 106 hrs | 20,894 (53%) | Hurricane Matthew |
| Sep 3, 2016 | 28 hrs | 15,648 (39%) | Hurricane Hermine |
| Nov 18, 2019 | 4 hrs | 9,511 (24%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 19, 2019 | 1 hrs | 9,273 (23%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Dare County, North Carolina that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Dare County recorded 516 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.4 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Dare County started September 6, 2019 (Hurricane Dorian), lasting 65 hours and leaving up to 31,918 customers without power (80% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Dare County, with 56 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Dare County earns a Reliability Grade of D, placing it in the 34th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Dare County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander County | D | 34th |
| Beaufort County | D | 34th |
| Johnston County | D | 34th |
| Montgomery County | D | 33rd |
| Yadkin County | D | 36th |
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 Dare County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Dare County recorded 516 outage events, averaging 2.4 hours each.
What is Dare County's reliability grade?
Dare County has a Reliability Grade of D, in the 34th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Dare County?
The worst outage on record started September 6, 2019 (Hurricane Dorian), lasting 65 hours and affecting up to 31,918 customers.