Nelson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2020 | 12 hrs | 6,469 (54%) | Unnamed event |
| Aug 5, 2020 | 4 hrs | 6,428 (54%) | Unnamed event |
| May 22, 2020 | 5 hrs | 6,377 (54%) | Dense Fog |
| May 22, 2020 | <1 hr | 6,344 (53%) | Dense Fog |
| Dec 10, 2018 | 15 hrs | 6,335 (53%) | Winter Weather |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Nelson County, Virginia that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Nelson County recorded 1,166 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.9 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Nelson County started August 11, 2020, lasting 12 hours and leaving up to 6,469 customers without power (54% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Nelson County, with 150 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Nelson County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 15th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Nelson County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| King and Queen County | F | 15th |
| Appomattox County | F | 14th |
| Powhatan County | F | 14th |
| Brunswick County | F | 15th |
| Gloucester County | F | 14th |
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 Nelson County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Nelson County recorded 1,166 outage events, averaging 3.9 hours each.
What is Nelson County's reliability grade?
Nelson County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 15th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Nelson County?
The worst outage on record started August 11, 2020, lasting 12 hours and affecting up to 6,469 customers.