Mitchell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2020 | 16 hrs | 8,379 (95%) | Unnamed event |
| Apr 1, 2023 | 46 hrs | 8,043 (91%) | Unnamed event |
| Sep 3, 2021 | 2 hrs | 5,486 (62%) | Unnamed event |
| Mar 1, 2015 | 2 hrs | 5,463 (62%) | Winter Storm |
| Apr 22, 2015 | 3 hrs | 5,306 (60%) | Unnamed event |
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Mitchell County recorded 1,750 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Mitchell County started August 7, 2020, lasting 16 hours and leaving up to 8,379 customers without power (95% of the county) at its peak.
May has historically been the worst month for outages in Mitchell County, with 190 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Mitchell County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 17th 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 Mitchell County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County | F | 17th |
| Burke County | F | 16th |
| Watauga County | F | 15th |
| Rockingham County | F | 19th |
| Caswell County | F | 19th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Mitchell County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Mitchell County recorded 1,750 outage events, averaging 3.0 hours each.
What is Mitchell County's reliability grade?
Mitchell County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 17th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Mitchell County?
The worst outage on record started August 7, 2020, lasting 16 hours and affecting up to 8,379 customers.