Knox CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Average — typical outage frequency and duration nationally. This county sits in the middle of the national distribution — its outage frequency and duration over the past 12 years are close to the nationwide median, neither notably better nor worse than most other US counties. A typical amount of backup-power preparedness is reasonable here.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2023 | 16 hrs | 68,001 (27%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| May 28, 2017 | 44 hrs | 44,151 (18%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jun 19, 2020 | 2 hrs | 40,534 (16%) | Hail |
| May 27, 2020 | 1 hrs | 34,684 (14%) | Unnamed event |
| Apr 12, 2018 | 2 hrs | 31,811 (13%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Knox County, Tennessee that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Knox County recorded 3,367 distinct power outage events, averaging 1.8 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Knox County started August 7, 2023 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 16 hours and leaving up to 68,001 customers without power (27% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Knox County, with 403 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Knox County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 52nd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Tennessee
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Knox County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | C | 52nd |
| Blount County | C | 52nd |
| Trousdale County | C | 52nd |
| Robertson County | C | 53rd |
| Sullivan County | C | 55th |
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 Knox County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Knox County recorded 3,367 outage events, averaging 1.8 hours each.
What is Knox County's reliability grade?
Knox County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 52nd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Knox County?
The worst outage on record started August 7, 2023 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 16 hours and affecting up to 68,001 customers.