2016 US Power Outage Report
In 2016, the average US customer went without power for about 3.9 hours — the 10th worst of the 11 years on record, below the decade average. Figures are from DOE/ORNL EAGLE-I and include major storm days.
Avg hrs / customer
3.9
Customer-hours out
516.1M
Rank (worst)
10th
States with data
48
2016 in context — the last decade
Average hours without power per US customer.
Hardest-hit states in 2016
By longest average outage per customer (SAIDI). Storm-heavy states dominate.
| # | State | Avg hrs / customer | Peak customers out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 30.5 | 119,303 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 18.2 | 48,635 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 13.0 | 183,359 |
| 4 | Virginia | 8.1 | 116,190 |
| 5 | Maine | 7.8 | 28,105 |
| 6 | Florida | 7.1 | 467,041 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 6.8 | 26,343 |
| 8 | Arkansas | 5.5 | 50,630 |
| 9 | Georgia | 4.8 | 141,489 |
| 10 | Vermont | 4.3 | 8,784 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 4.1 | 74,402 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 4.0 | 106,447 |
Hardest-hit counties in 2016
By peak customers out during the year's worst event.
1Duval County, FL467,0412Volusia County, FL235,4783Brevard County, FL200,7864Horry County, SC183,3595Chatham County, GA141,4896King County, WA129,6857Wake County, NC119,3038Henrico County, VA116,1909Ocean County, NJ106,44710Los Angeles County, CA104,86611Charleston County, SC97,93612Cook County, IL95,66113Palm Beach County, FL84,37814St. Johns County, FL84,09215Virginia Beach city, VA77,44916Tulsa County, OK74,40217Seminole County, FL73,59518Orange County, CA72,74419St. Louis County, MO67,07020Kitsap County, WA65,654
Biggest single outages of 2016
| County | Began | Peak customers out |
|---|---|---|
| Duval County, FL | October 4, 2016 | 467,041 |
| Volusia County, FL | October 5, 2016 | 235,478 |
| Brevard County, FL | October 6, 2016 | 200,786 |
| Horry County, SC | October 8, 2016 | 183,359 |
| Duval County, FL | October 8, 2016 | 162,216 |
| Chatham County, GA | October 7, 2016 | 141,489 |
| Volusia County, FL | October 8, 2016 | 135,382 |
| King County, WA | March 13, 2016 | 129,685 |
| Wake County, NC | October 8, 2016 | 119,303 |
| Henrico County, VA | June 17, 2016 | 116,190 |
Source: DOE/ORNL EAGLE-I (15-minute county outage records; major disturbances from DOE OE-417). “Avg hours per customer” is a SAIDI-like measure — total outage customer-minutes divided by tracked customers. Coverage varies by year and utility.