Wake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2016 | 98 hrs | 119,303 (21%) | Hurricane Matthew |
| Jun 17, 2022 | 24 hrs | 95,005 (17%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Feb 26, 2015 | 48 hrs | 92,954 (16%) | Winter Weather |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 51 hrs | 91,342 (16%) | Hurricane Ian |
| Aug 7, 2023 | 11 hrs | 79,920 (14%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Wake County, North Carolina that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Wake County recorded 3,985 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Wake County started October 8, 2016 (Hurricane Matthew), lasting 98 hours and leaving up to 119,303 customers without power (21% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Wake County, with 528 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Wake County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 52nd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Wake County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | C | 52nd |
| Madison County | C | 53rd |
| Yancey County | C | 51st |
| Wayne County | C | 50th |
| Northampton County | C | 50th |
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 Wake County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Wake County recorded 3,985 outage events, averaging 2.1 hours each.
What is Wake County's reliability grade?
Wake County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 52nd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Wake County?
The worst outage on record started October 8, 2016 (Hurricane Matthew), lasting 98 hours and affecting up to 119,303 customers.