Madison CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2020 | 16 hrs | 5,131 (61%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 8, 2020 | 1 hrs | 2,779 (33%) | Unnamed event |
| Apr 1, 2023 | 49 hrs | 1,792 (21%) | Unnamed event |
| Nov 9, 2021 | <1 hr | 1,294 (15%) | Unnamed event |
| Jul 14, 2025 | <1 hr | 982 (12%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Madison County, North Carolina that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Madison County recorded 1,345 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Madison County started August 7, 2020, lasting 16 hours and leaving up to 5,131 customers without power (61% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Madison County, with 161 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Madison County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 53rd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Madison County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | C | 52nd |
| Wake County | C | 52nd |
| Yancey County | C | 51st |
| Wayne County | C | 50th |
| McDowell County | C | 56th |
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 Madison County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Madison County recorded 1,345 outage events, averaging 3.8 hours each.
What is Madison County's reliability grade?
Madison County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 53rd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Madison County?
The worst outage on record started August 7, 2020, lasting 16 hours and affecting up to 5,131 customers.