Shelby CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Bottom 20% least reliable nationally — frequent and/or long outages. This county ranks in the least reliable fifth of all US counties in our dataset: some combination of frequent outages, long restoration times, or customers affected puts it near the bottom nationally. Backup power is worth prioritizing here rather than treating it as optional.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2017 | 114 hrs | 155,108 (37%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 18, 2023 | 162 hrs | 138,851 (33%) | Heat |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 305 hrs | 137,794 (33%) | Ice Storm |
| Jun 25, 2023 | 305 hrs | 120,822 (29%) | Excessive Heat |
| Dec 22, 2022 | 54 hrs | 84,234 (20%) | Winter Storm Elliott |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Shelby County, Tennessee that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Shelby County recorded 6,612 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.2 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Shelby County started May 28, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 114 hours and leaving up to 155,108 customers without power (37% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Shelby County, with 699 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Shelby County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 8th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Tennessee
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Shelby County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Sevier County | D | 20th |
| Stewart County | D | 21st |
| Clay County | D | 24th |
| Pickett County | D | 26th |
| Meigs County | D | 29th |
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 Shelby County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Shelby County recorded 6,612 outage events, averaging 3.2 hours each.
What is Shelby County's reliability grade?
Shelby County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 8th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Shelby County?
The worst outage on record started May 28, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 114 hours and affecting up to 155,108 customers.