Power outage history by ZIP code
Type your ZIP code to see how often the power has gone out in your county since 2018, how long it stayed out, how your power company compares, and which backup would have kept you going.
Across the US, the typical customer went about 6 hours a year without power from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 it was 11 hours, most of it from hurricanes.
What the history looks like in some big counties
“An outage” means at least 1 in 100 homes in the county lost power at once. A typical year is the middle year of 2018–2025. Click a county to open its full history.
| County | Hours out per home, typical year | Outages over 4 h, typical year | Years with a 24 h+ outage | Longest outage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, Michigan | 12.9 | 7 | 8 of 8 | 6.9 days, February 2023 |
| Cumberland County, Maine | 14.5 | 11 | 5 of 8 | 4.4 days, April 2024 |
| Buncombe County, North Carolina | 4.8 | 6.5 | 3 of 8 | 20.3 days, September 2024 (Hurricane Helene) |
| Harris County, Texas | 3.4 | 2 | 2 of 8 | 10.1 days, July 2024 (Hurricane Beryl) |
| Miami-Dade County, Florida | 2.5 | 1 | 0 of 8 | 20 hours, November 2023 |
| Maricopa County, Arizona | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0 of 8 | 11 hours, July 2018 |
| Los Angeles County, California | 4.0 | 0.5 | 1 of 8 | 4.1 days, January 2025 |
| Cook County, Illinois | 1.4 | 1 | 3 of 8 | 4.1 days, August 2020 (Midwest derecho) |
How to turn your history into a backup plan
The length of your outages decides the kind of backup, more than how often they happen.
- Outages of a few hours: a closed fridge keeps food safe about 4 hours. A power station runs the fridge, Wi-Fi, lights and phones through an evening. A smaller one runs a CPAP all night.
- Outages of a day: a fridge uses about 2 kWh a day (our fridge numbers), and you can use about 85% of a battery, so plan on a power station of about 2.5 kWh or more, or a portable generator.
- Outages of several days: a battery runs out unless solar refills it. A generator runs as long as you have fuel. Running the furnace, well pump or sump pump means a transfer switch or inlet fitted by an electrician.
Not sure which? Battery or generator: how to choose, or size a system on your own appliances. Never run a generator indoors or in a garage: why.
Get ready before the next outage
Do these before storm season. The lookup above adds the ones your county’s history calls for.
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed. A closed fridge keeps food safe about 4 hours; a full freezer about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24. Throw out food that sat above 40°F for 2 hours or more (USDA). How long a power station runs a fridge.
- Charge phones and power banks when a storm is in the forecast, and have a flashlight for everyone at home (Ready.gov).
- Fit a battery carbon monoxide alarm on every floor and outside bedrooms (CPSC). Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, never in a garage (CPSC). Why a generator must stay outside.
- Back up what cannot wait: the fridge, Wi-Fi, a CPAP, a sump pump. Size a system on your own appliances.
- On a well? It stops without power. Store at least a gallon of water per person per day for several days (Ready.gov), or plan a generator that runs the well pump.
- Plan heat for winter. A gas furnace still needs power for its blower. What runs a furnace blower.
- Someone relies on powered medical equipment? Ask your power company about its medical-needs list, and make a plan with your doctor.
How often the power goes out in the US
Power companies report every year how long their customers went without power. In a normal year (the middle of 2015 to 2024), the typical US customer went 6 hours without power. In 2024 it was 11 hours, the worst year on record, and 80% of that time came from major storms such as hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton.
Storms are what changed. For the same 434 power companies, outage time rose from 4 hours a year in 2014–2016 to 7.9 hours in 2022–2024. Leave out the major storm days and it barely moved: 1.9 to 2.1 hours. Across 2014–2024, about 68% of all outage time came from major storms.
States where the power stays out longest
Typical hours without power per customer, middle year of 2015–2024 (EIA):
- Maine: 15.6 hours a year
- West Virginia: 12.6 hours a year
- Mississippi: 8.7 hours a year
- Michigan: 8.4 hours a year
- Louisiana: 8 hours a year
Shortest: Washington, D.C. (1.1 h), Arizona (1.5 h), Nebraska (1.6 h). The US figure is 6 hours.
Every state ranked, with 2024 and the share from storms.
Puerto Rico is far above every state (73.6 hours in 2024) and is left out of the ranking, as EIA does.
Counties where day-long outages come almost every year
Of 1,721 counties with at least 10,000 homes and good records, these had the most years in which at least 1 in 20 homes lost power for more than a day, 2018–2025.
| County | Years when 1 in 20 homes lost power for over a day | Hours out per home, typical year |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, Michigan | 7 of 8 | 12.9 |
| Hancock County, Maine | 7 of 8 | 32.5 |
| Franklin County, Maine | 7 of 8 | 22.1 |
| Logan County, West Virginia | 7 of 8 | 24.5 |
| Mingo County, West Virginia | 7 of 8 | 39.5 |
| Boone County, West Virginia | 7 of 8 | 30.5 |
| Patrick County, Virginia | 7 of 8 | 27.3 |
| Lincoln County, Maine | 7 of 8 | 28.3 |
| Clare County, Michigan | 7 of 8 | 20.3 |
| Upshur County, Texas | 7 of 8 | 25.1 |
The biggest outages since 2018
Ranked by total hours without power across a state. “Most out at once” is the highest number held for a full hour. Storm names are matched by date and place.
| State | When | Most homes and businesses out at once | How long it lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | September 2022 (Hurricane Fiona) | 1,078,997 | 25.6 days |
| Texas | February 2021 (Winter Storm Uri) | 4,031,651 | 5 days |
| Louisiana | August 2021 (Hurricane Ida) | 1,041,944 | 22.5 days |
| Texas | July 2024 (Hurricane Beryl) | 2,750,742 | 8.3 days |
| Florida | September 2022 (Hurricane Ian) | 2,479,365 | 9.5 days |
| Florida | October 2024 (Hurricane Milton) | 3,294,806 | 5.2 days |
| South Carolina | September 2024 (Hurricane Helene) | 1,362,853 | 10.8 days |
| Georgia | September 2024 (Hurricane Helene) | 1,088,285 | 11.9 days |
How long outages last, storm by storm.
Winter is as risky as summer. Of 14,658 county outages longer than a day, 26% began in December to February and 26% in June to August.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- It shows your county, not your street. Your ZIP code is matched to its county. Homes on the same feeder line as a hospital may lose power less; homes at the end of a long rural line may lose it more.
- “An outage” means at least 1 in 100 homes in the county out at once. A tree on your own line that cuts power to your block alone does not show up.
- Outages shorter than 15 minutes are mostly missing. The records are readings of power company outage maps every 15 minutes.
- The power company numbers are averages across the whole company in your state, not just your county.
- Want your own address? Ask your power company. Many will send an outage history for your account on request.
Download the data
Free to use with credit under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “VerifiedBackupPowerData.com analysis of EIA, DOE/ORNL EAGLE-I and Census data.” Reporters can contact us for county numbers.
- Outages by county and year, 2014-2025 (DOE EAGLE-I) (CSV)
- Time without power by state and year, 2013-2024 (EIA) (CSV)
- Time without power by power company and year, 2013-2025 (EIA; 2025 preliminary) (CSV)
- The 5 biggest outages in each state, 2014-2025 (CSV)
- Which power companies serve each county (EIA, 2024) (CSV)
Questions people ask
How can I see the power outage history for my address?
Enter your ZIP code above to see your county's outages since 2018. For your exact address, ask your power company: many send an outage history for your account on request.
How often does the power go out in the US?
The typical customer goes about 6 hours a year without power (EIA, middle year of 2015 to 2024). In 2024 it was 11 hours, mostly from hurricanes. In a typical year about 36% of US homes are in a county where an outage lasted more than a day.
Which state has the most power outages?
Maine has the most time without power: about 15.6 hours a year for the typical customer, 2015 to 2024. West Virginia is next at 12.6 hours. Puerto Rico is far higher than any state.
Do I need a generator?
It depends on how long your outages last. If outages in your county are measured in hours, a power station covers the fridge, Wi-Fi and lights. If day-long or multi-day outages come most years, plan for a generator or a large battery you can recharge from solar. Look up your ZIP above to see which one your county's history points to.
Sources and method
County outages come from DOE’s EAGLE-I records: counts of customers out, read from power company outage maps every 15 minutes. We count an outage when at least 1 in 100 of the county’s homes are out, and it ends when readings stop for more than an hour. We remove single readings that jump and fall back at once, and use only county-years with good coverage from 2018 on. Power company and state numbers are each company’s own yearly report to EIA. We never combine the two sources in one number.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 reliability data, 2013–2024 final and 2025 early release. eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861
- Brelsford C, et al. The Environment for Analysis of Geo-Located Energy Information’s Recorded Electricity Outages 2014–2025 (DOE/ORNL EAGLE-I), figshare v4, 2026, CC BY 4.0. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24237376.v4. Paper: Scientific Data 11, 271 (2024), doi:10.1038/s41597-024-03095-5
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZIP code (ZCTA) to county relationship file, and American Community Survey 2021 5-year housing units.
- Ready.gov, “Power Outages” and “Water.” ready.gov/power-outages
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, carbon monoxide alarms and portable generator safety. cpsc.gov
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Keep your food safe during emergencies” (fridge safe about 4 hours closed). fsis.usda.gov