Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2017 | <1 hr | 15,902 (28%) | Unnamed event |
| Nov 5, 2022 | 39 hrs | 10,619 (19%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Aug 11, 2021 | <1 hr | 10,326 (18%) | Thunderstorm Wind |
| Jul 29, 2023 | 43 hrs | 10,109 (18%) | Hail |
| Aug 6, 2021 | 2 hrs | 8,855 (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, Wisconsin that day.
Over the 12 years from 2014 to 2025, Washington County recorded 554 distinct power outage events, averaging 3.5 hours per event.
The single worst outage on record in Washington County started February 17, 2017, lasting less than 1 hour and leaving up to 15,902 customers without power (28% of the county) at its peak.
August has historically been the worst month for outages in Washington County, with 88 events recorded during that month across the dataset.
Based on this history, Washington County earns a Reliability Grade of C, placing it in the 55th percentile nationally for grid reliability (higher percentile = more reliable).
Similar counties in Wisconsin
Counties with the closest reliability grade and national percentile to Washington County.
| County | Grade | National percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Ozaukee County | C | 50th |
| Bayfield County | B | 60th |
| Shawano County | B | 61st |
| Walworth County | C | 49th |
| Waushara County | B | 62nd |
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 554 outage events, averaging 3.5 hours each.
What is Washington County's reliability grade?
Washington County has a Reliability Grade of C, in the 55th national percentile.
What was the worst power outage in Washington County?
The worst outage on record started February 17, 2017, lasting less than 1 hour and affecting up to 15,902 customers.