Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | 397 hrs | 17,366 (96%) | Tropical Storm |
| Oct 29, 2020 | 108 hrs | 10,904 (60%) | Unnamed event |
| Dec 9, 2018 | 114 hrs | 7,675 (43%) | Heavy Snow |
| Jul 28, 2025 | 2 hrs | 4,869 (27%) | Unnamed event |
| Jan 20, 2019 | 31 hrs | 4,593 (25%) | Unnamed event |
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Polk County recorded 1,093 distinct power outage events, averaging 4.7 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Polk County started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm), lasting 397 hours and leaving up to 17,366 customers without power (96% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Polk County, with 136 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Polk County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 3rd 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 Polk County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Pamlico County | F | 7th |
| Tyrrell County | F | 8th |
| Moore County | F | 10th |
| Jones County | F | 11th |
| New Hanover County | F | 14th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Polk County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Polk County recorded 1,093 outage events, averaging 4.7 hours each.
What is Polk County's reliability grade?
Polk County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 3rd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Polk County?
The worst outage on record started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm), lasting 397 hours and affecting up to 17,366 customers.