Amherst 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2022 | 25 hrs | 8,180 (45%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Mar 2, 2018 | 93 hrs | 7,416 (41%) | High Wind |
| Jul 27, 2016 | 6 hrs | 5,436 (30%) | Unnamed event |
| Jul 21, 2019 | 26 hrs | 5,322 (30%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| May 4, 2021 | 50 hrs | 5,286 (29%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Amherst County, Virginia that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Amherst County recorded 812 distinct power outage events, averaging 4.7 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Amherst County started June 17, 2022 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 25 hours and leaving up to 8,180 customers without power (45% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Amherst County, with 87 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Amherst County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 9th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Amherst County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | F | 9th |
| Franklin County | F | 9th |
| Mathews County | F | 9th |
| Lunenburg County | F | 9th |
| Wythe County | F | 10th |
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 Amherst County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Amherst County recorded 812 outage events, averaging 4.7 hours each.
What is Amherst County's reliability grade?
Amherst County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 9th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Amherst County?
The worst outage on record started June 17, 2022 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 25 hours and affecting up to 8,180 customers.