Washington County Power Outage History
2014–2025 · Rhode Island
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2021 | 68 hrs | 52,955 (72%) | Tropical Storm Henri |
| Dec 5, 2016 | 2 hrs | 49,904 (68%) | Drought |
| Oct 27, 2021 | 22 hrs | 42,616 (58%) | High Wind |
| Mar 2, 2018 | 79 hrs | 37,375 (51%) | High Wind |
| Oct 30, 2017 | 115 hrs | 31,357 (42%) | Tropical Storm Phillipe |
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Washington County recorded 663 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Washington County started August 22, 2021 (Tropical Storm Henri), lasting 68 hours and leaving up to 52,955 customers without power (72% of the county) at its peak.
September has historically been the worst month for outages in Washington County, with 71 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Washington County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 15th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
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Similar counties in Rhode Island
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Washington County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol County | D | 34th |
| Kent County | D | 38th |
| Providence County | C | 48th |
| Newport County | B | 77th |
FAQ
How often does power go out in Washington County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Washington County recorded 663 outage events, averaging 3.0 hours each.
What is Washington County's reliability grade?
Washington County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 15th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Washington County?
The worst outage on record started August 22, 2021 (Tropical Storm Henri), lasting 68 hours and affecting up to 52,955 customers.