Nicholas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | 99 hrs | 10,548 (72%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Mar 1, 2017 | 76 hrs | 7,534 (51%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jun 23, 2016 | 87 hrs | 7,432 (50%) | Hail |
| Feb 25, 2017 | 15 hrs | 6,459 (44%) | Unnamed event |
| May 26, 2024 | 74 hrs | 5,471 (37%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Nicholas County, West Virginia that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Nicholas County recorded 1,031 distinct power outage events, averaging 4.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Nicholas County started April 2, 2024 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 99 hours and leaving up to 10,548 customers without power (72% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Nicholas County, with 130 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Nicholas County earns a Reliability Grade of F, placing it in the 4th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in West Virginia
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Nicholas County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| McDowell County | F | 3rd |
| Fayette County | F | 4th |
| Wirt County | F | 4th |
| Webster County | F | 4th |
| Gilmer County | F | 3rd |
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 Nicholas County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Nicholas County recorded 1,031 outage events, averaging 4.5 hours each.
What is Nicholas County's reliability grade?
Nicholas County has a Reliability Grade of F, in the 4th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Nicholas County?
The worst outage on record started April 2, 2024 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 99 hours and affecting up to 10,548 customers.