Johnston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2016 | 141 hrs | 39,337 (34%) | Hurricane Matthew |
| Jan 22, 2016 | 71 hrs | 30,913 (27%) | Winter Storm |
| Sep 15, 2018 | 30 hrs | 28,356 (25%) | Hurricane Florence |
| Sep 13, 2018 | 24 hrs | 20,248 (18%) | Hurricane Florence |
| Dec 19, 2019 | <1 hr | 18,184 (16%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Johnston County, North Carolina that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Johnston County recorded 2,128 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Johnston County started October 8, 2016 (Hurricane Matthew), lasting 141 hours and leaving up to 39,337 customers without power (34% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Johnston County, with 286 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Johnston 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 Johnston County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Dare County | D | 34th |
| Alexander County | D | 34th |
| Beaufort 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 Johnston County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Johnston County recorded 2,128 outage events, averaging 2.8 hours each.
What is Johnston County's reliability grade?
Johnston County has a Reliability Grade of D, in the 34th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Johnston County?
The worst outage on record started October 8, 2016 (Hurricane Matthew), lasting 141 hours and affecting up to 39,337 customers.