Watauga CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | 13 hrs | 25,405 (73%) | Hurricane Helene |
| Sep 28, 2024 | 24 hrs | 21,629 (62%) | Hurricane Helene |
| Sep 27, 2024 | 3 hrs | 21,014 (60%) | Hurricane Helene |
| Sep 29, 2024 | 49 hrs | 18,900 (54%) | Hurricane Helene |
| Sep 29, 2024 | 5 hrs | 17,779 (51%) | Hurricane Helene |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Watauga County, North Carolina that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Watauga County recorded 515 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.6 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Watauga County started September 27, 2024 (Hurricane Helene), lasting 13 hours and leaving up to 25,405 customers without power (73% of the county) at its peak.
May has historically been the worst month for outages in Watauga County, with 57 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Watauga County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 15th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Watauga County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Burke County | F | 16th |
| Hyde County | F | 14th |
| New Hanover County | F | 14th |
| Mitchell County | F | 17th |
| Wilkes County | F | 17th |
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 Watauga County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Watauga County recorded 515 outage events, averaging 2.6 hours each.
What is Watauga County's reliability grade?
Watauga County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 15th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Watauga County?
The worst outage on record started September 27, 2024 (Hurricane Helene), lasting 13 hours and affecting up to 25,405 customers.