Polk CountyPower Outage History
What this grade means
Better than average — fewer or shorter outages than most counties. This county's outage history is better than the national median: recorded outages are less frequent and/or shorter in duration than a typical US county experienced over the same 12-year period. It isn't in the top tier nationally, but its track record points to lower-than-average outage risk.
Outages by year
Outages by month (seasonality)
Worst outage events on record
| Date | Duration | Customers affected | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2017 | 17 hrs | 10,357 (27%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 19, 2019 | 74 hrs | 9,152 (24%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 1 hrs | 6,481 (17%) | Unnamed event |
| Jul 28, 2019 | 7 hrs | 6,403 (17%) | Tornado |
| Aug 5, 2019 | <1 hr | 6,371 (17%) | Unnamed event |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Polk County, Wisconsin that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Polk County recorded 338 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Polk County started July 12, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 17 hours and leaving up to 10,357 customers without power (27% of the county) at its peak.
July has historically been the worst month for outages in Polk County, with 67 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Polk County earns a Reliability Grade of B, placing it in the 71st percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Wisconsin
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Polk County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | B | 71st |
| Kenosha County | B | 70th |
| Sheboygan County | B | 72nd |
| Green Lake County | B | 73rd |
| Rusk County | B | 68th |
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 Polk County?
Between 2014 and 2025, Polk County recorded 338 outage events, averaging 2.5 hours each.
What is Polk County's reliability grade?
Polk County has a Reliability Grade of B, in the 71st national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Polk County?
The worst outage on record started July 12, 2017 (Thunderstorm Wind), lasting 17 hours and affecting up to 10,357 customers.