Richland CountyPower Outage History
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.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | 209 hrs | 106,649 (23%) | Tropical Storm Helene |
| Jun 26, 2025 | 3 hrs | 43,801 (9%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jun 22, 2019 | 37 hrs | 33,840 (7%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Oct 8, 2016 | 10 hrs | 33,158 (7%) | Hurricane Matthew |
| Jun 26, 2025 | 5 hrs | 32,129 (7%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Richland County, South Carolina that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Richland County recorded 1,794 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.1 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Richland County started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm Helene), lasting 209 hours and leaving up to 106,649 customers without power (23% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Richland County, with 224 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Richland County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 76th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in South Carolina
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Richland County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Horry County | B | 76th |
| Dorchester County | B | 74th |
| Union County | B | 80th |
| Orangeburg County | B | 80th |
| Georgetown County | B | 72nd |
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 Richland County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Richland County recorded 1,794 outage events, averaging 2.1 hours each.
What is Richland County's reliability grade?
Richland County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 76th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Richland County?
The worst outage on record started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm Helene), lasting 209 hours and affecting up to 106,649 customers.