Portage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2017 | 76 hrs | 18,682 (48%) | Flood |
| Jul 20, 2019 | 70 hrs | 17,096 (44%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 23, 2019 | 73 hrs | 13,035 (34%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Feb 28, 2016 | 4 hrs | 7,852 (20%) | Unnamed event |
| Jun 15, 2022 | 39 hrs | 7,813 (20%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
Was There an Outage on a Specific Date?
Pick a date to see whether a power outage was recorded for Portage County, Wisconsin that day.
Over the 11 years from 2015 to 2025, Portage County recorded 374 distinct power outage events, averaging 2.9 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Portage County started June 12, 2017 (Flood), lasting 76 hours and leaving up to 18,682 customers without power (48% of the county) at its peak.
June has historically been the worst month for outages in Portage County, with 55 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Portage County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 42nd percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Wisconsin
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Portage County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Door County | C | 42nd |
| Waukesha County | C | 42nd |
| Waupaca County | C | 44th |
| Sawyer County | C | 44th |
| Jefferson County | C | 46th |
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 Portage County?
Between 2015 and 2025, Portage County recorded 374 outage events, averaging 2.9 hours each.
What is Portage County's reliability grade?
Portage County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 42nd national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Portage County?
The worst outage on record started June 12, 2017 (Flood), lasting 76 hours and affecting up to 18,682 customers.