PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
C
Average
2014-2025
North Carolina

Richmond CountyPower Outage History

20142025 · North Carolina
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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.

Takeaway
Typical outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide44th pct
In North Carolina#35 of 94
See full North Carolina rankings →
Total events
948
Recorded 2014–2025
Avg duration
2.3 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
168 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
43,590
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Sep 15, 2018168 hrs18,446 (42%)Hurricane Florence
Apr 13, 202062 hrs12,499 (29%)Thunderstorm Wind
Sep 14, 201812 hrs10,490 (24%)Hurricane Florence
Oct 8, 201699 hrs7,444 (17%)Hurricane Matthew
May 24, 20225 hrs5,602 (13%)Thunderstorm Wind

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Richmond County, North Carolina that day.

Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Richmond County recorded 948 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.3 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Richmond County started September 15, 2018 (Hurricane Florence), lasting 168 hours and leaving up to 18,446 customers without power (42% of the county) at its peak.

July has historically been the worst month for outages in Richmond County, with 120 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Richmond County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 44th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in North Carolina

Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Richmond County.

CountyGradeNational percentile
Forsyth CountyC44th
Camden CountyC43rd
Mecklenburg CountyC42nd
Surry CountyC47th
Rowan CountyC42nd

Most reliable counties nationally

The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

CountyStateGradeNational percentile
Clay CountySouth DakotaA100th
Clearwater CountyMinnesotaA99th
Limestone CountyAlabamaA99th

Least reliable counties nationally

The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

FAQ

How often does power go out in Richmond County?

Between 2014 and 2025, Richmond County recorded 948 outage events, averaging 2.3 hours each.

What is Richmond County's reliability grade?

Richmond County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 44th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Richmond County?

The worst outage on record started September 15, 2018 (Hurricane Florence), lasting 168 hours and affecting up to 18,446 customers.

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Data: ORNL EAGLE-I Recorded Electricity Outages (2014–2025), CC BY 4.0. Storm names: NOAA Storm Events Database. Last data refresh: 2025. See methodology.