Pierce 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13, 2021 | 115 hrs | 107,403 (31%) | Unnamed event |
| Oct 25, 2025 | 32 hrs | 86,311 (25%) | Unnamed event |
| Dec 17, 2025 | 68 hrs | 83,411 (24%) | Unnamed event |
| Nov 15, 2023 | 3 hrs | 57,100 (17%) | Unnamed event |
| Sep 18, 2021 | 42 hrs | 55,715 (16%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Pierce County, Washington that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Pierce County recorded 1,861 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.7 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Pierce County started January 13, 2021, lasting 115 hours and leaving up to 107,403 customers without power (31% of the county) at its peak.
December has historically been the worst month for outages in Pierce County, with 208 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Pierce County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 46th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Washington
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Pierce County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Pend Oreille County | C | 51st |
| Clallam County | D | 38th |
| Mason County | C | 55th |
| Jefferson County | D | 34th |
| Lewis County | C | 59th |
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 Pierce County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Pierce County recorded 1,861 outage events, averaging 3.7 hours each.
What is Pierce County's reliability grade?
Pierce County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 46th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Pierce County?
The worst outage on record started January 13, 2021, lasting 115 hours and affecting up to 107,403 customers.