Newport News 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 4, 2020 | 69 hrs | 32,625 (38%) | Tropical Storm Isaias |
| Oct 12, 2018 | 68 hrs | 29,961 (35%) | Heavy Rain |
| Jul 30, 2019 | <1 hr | 26,773 (32%) | Unnamed event |
| Oct 8, 2016 | 71 hrs | 23,363 (28%) | Heavy Rain |
| Sep 3, 2016 | 17 hrs | 12,516 (15%) | Tropical Storm Hermine |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Newport News County, Virginia that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Newport News County recorded 840 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.6 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Newport News County started August 4, 2020 (Tropical Storm Isaias), lasting 69 hours and leaving up to 32,625 customers without power (38% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in Newport News County, with 122 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Newport News County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 46th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Newport News County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | C | 46th |
| Culpeper County | C | 45th |
| Orange County | C | 46th |
| Augusta County | C | 47th |
| Lynchburg County | C | 44th |
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 Newport News County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Newport News County recorded 840 outage events, averaging 2.6 hours each.
What is Newport News County's reliability grade?
Newport News County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 46th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Newport News County?
The worst outage on record started August 4, 2020 (Tropical Storm Isaias), lasting 69 hours and affecting up to 32,625 customers.