Wilkes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2017 | 87 hrs | 25,695 (56%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 8, 2016 | 76 hrs | 23,217 (51%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Sep 27, 2024 | 153 hrs | 22,628 (50%) | Hurricane Helene |
| Jun 20, 2020 | 4 hrs | 9,834 (22%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 20, 2020 | 3 hrs | 9,763 (21%) | Unnamed event |
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Wilkes County recorded 1,600 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.3 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Wilkes County started October 23, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 87 hours and leaving up to 25,695 customers without power (56% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Wilkes County, with 187 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Wilkes County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 17th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Sized for Wilkes County's outage profile
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Similar counties in North Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Wilkes County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County | F | 17th |
| Rockingham County | F | 19th |
| Caswell County | F | 19th |
| Burke County | F | 16th |
| Chatham County | F | 19th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Wilkes County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Wilkes County recorded 1,600 outage events, averaging 3.3 hours each.
What is Wilkes County's reliability grade?
Wilkes County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 17th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Wilkes County?
The worst outage on record started October 23, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 87 hours and affecting up to 25,695 customers.