PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
B
Better than average
2014-2025
North Carolina

Union CountyPower Outage History

20142025 · North Carolina
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What this grade means

Better than average — fewer or shorter outages than most counties. This county's outage history is better than the national median: recorded outages are less frequent and/or shorter in duration than a typical US county experienced over the same 12-year period. It isn't in the top tier nationally, but its track record points to lower-than-average outage risk.

Takeaway
Lower-than-average outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide74th pct
In North Carolina#8 of 94
See full North Carolina rankings →
Total events
1,087
Recorded 2014–2025
Avg duration
2.5 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
77 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
172,135
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
May 23, 2018<1 hr51,973 (30%)Unnamed event
May 23, 2018<1 hr51,920 (30%)Unnamed event
Sep 27, 202438 hrs25,878 (15%)Tropical Storm
Oct 11, 201874 hrs20,536 (12%)Tropical Storm
May 22, 20163 hrs16,832 (10%)Unnamed event

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

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

Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Union County recorded 1,087 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.5 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Union County started May 23, 2018, lasting less than 1 hour and leaving up to 51,973 customers without power (30% of the county) at its peak.

June has historically been the worst month for outages in Union County, with 130 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Union County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 74th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in North Carolina

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

CountyGradeNational percentile
Avery CountyB75th
Granville CountyB72nd
Perquimans CountyB67th
Hertford CountyB67th
Halifax CountyB66th

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 Union County?

Between 2014 and 2025, Union County recorded 1,087 outage events, averaging 2.5 hours each.

What is Union County's reliability grade?

Union County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 74th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Union County?

The worst outage on record started May 23, 2018, lasting less than 1 hour and affecting up to 51,973 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.