Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | 198 hrs | 18,732 (58%) | Tropical Storm Helene |
| Jul 31, 2018 | 6 hrs | 7,799 (24%) | Unnamed event |
| Mar 12, 2023 | 3 hrs | 6,619 (20%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 28, 2021 | 20 hrs | 5,369 (16%) | Unnamed event |
| Dec 22, 2016 | 2 hrs | 5,273 (16%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Washington County, Virginia that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Washington County recorded 842 distinct power outage events, averaging 4.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Washington County started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm Helene), lasting 198 hours and leaving up to 18,732 customers without power (58% of the county) at its peak.
June has historically been the worst month for outages in Washington County, with 97 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Washington County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 17th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Washington County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Lee County | F | 17th |
| Middlesex County | F | 17th |
| Craig County | F | 17th |
| Henrico County | F | 17th |
| Bedford County | F | 17th |
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 Washington County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Washington County recorded 842 outage events, averaging 4.5 hours each.
What is Washington County's reliability grade?
Washington County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 17th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Washington County?
The worst outage on record started September 27, 2024 (Tropical Storm Helene), lasting 198 hours and affecting up to 18,732 customers.