PowerOutageHistory
Reliability Grade
A
Top tier
2016-2025
South Dakota

Meade CountyPower Outage History

20162025 · South Dakota
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What this grade means

Top 20% most reliable nationally — infrequent, short outages. This county ranks in the most reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset, based on 12 years of real DOE outage records: outages happen less often here, and when they do occur they tend to be resolved quickly compared to the rest of the country. Baseline outage risk is low, though a severe local storm can still occasionally cause a longer-than-usual outage regardless of the long-term track record.

Takeaway
Low outage risk
Reliability Rank
Fuller bar = more reliable
Nationwide86th pct
In South Dakota#28 of 65
See full South Dakota rankings →
Total events
283
Recorded 2016–2025
Avg duration
3.9 hrs
Per outage event
Longest outage
100 hrs
Single worst event on record
Customers served
22,258
Utility customers in county

Outages by year

Outages by month (seasonality)

Worst outage events on record

DateDurationCustomers affectedCause
Nov 13, 20257 hrs10,065 (45%)Unnamed event
Oct 13, 20217 hrs8,735 (39%)Winter Storm
Feb 11, 2016<1 hr8,299 (37%)High Wind
Oct 12, 20212 hrs7,130 (32%)Winter Storm
Jul 23, 20251 hrs5,009 (23%)Hail

Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?

Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Meade County, South Dakota that day.

Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, Meade County recorded 283 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.9 hours per event.

The single worst outage on record in Meade County started November 13, 2025, lasting 7 hours and leaving up to 10,065 customers without power (45% of the county) at its peak.

July has historically been the worst month for outages in Meade County, with 50 events recorded during that month across the dataset.

Based on this history, Meade County earns a Reliability Grade of A, placing it in the 86th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).

Similar counties in South Dakota

Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Meade County.

CountyGradeNational percentile
Union CountyA86th
Butte CountyA85th
Bon Homme CountyA85th
Aurora CountyA87th
Roberts CountyA83rd

Most reliable counties nationally

The top 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

CountyStateGradeNational percentile
Clay CountySouth DakotaA100th
Clearwater CountyMinnesotaA99th
Limestone CountyAlabamaA99th

Least reliable counties nationally

The bottom 3 counties nationally by reliability grade and percentile.

FAQ

How often does power go out in Meade County?

Between 2016 and 2025, Meade County recorded 283 outage events, averaging 3.9 hours each.

What is Meade County's reliability grade?

Meade County has a Reliability Grade of A, in the 86th national percentile.

What was the worst power outage in Meade County?

The worst outage on record started November 13, 2025, lasting 7 hours and affecting up to 10,065 customers.

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Data: ORNL EAGLE-I Recorded Electricity Outages (2014–2025), CC BY 4.0. Storm names: NOAA Storm Events Database. Last data refresh: 2025. See methodology.