Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 6, 2017 | 26 hrs | 17,235 (47%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Dec 16, 2020 | 51 hrs | 7,552 (21%) | Winter Storm |
| Feb 8, 2018 | 6 hrs | 6,350 (17%) | Winter Weather |
| Jan 3, 2022 | 177 hrs | 6,325 (17%) | Winter Storm |
| May 14, 2018 | 46 hrs | 6,272 (17%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Orange County, Virginia that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Orange County recorded 707 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.0 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Orange County started April 6, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 26 hours and leaving up to 17,235 customers without power (47% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Orange County, with 90 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Orange 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 Orange County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Newport News County | C | 46th |
| Augusta County | C | 47th |
| Sussex County | C | 46th |
| Hampton County | C | 47th |
| Portsmouth County | C | 48th |
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 Orange County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Orange County recorded 707 outage events, averaging 3.0 hours each.
What is Orange County's reliability grade?
Orange County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 46th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Orange County?
The worst outage on record started April 6, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 26 hours and affecting up to 17,235 customers.