O'Brien County, IA Power Outages
As of Nov 2, 11:30 PM EST, no power outages were reported in O'Brien County, Iowa by MidAmerican Energy Co.
O'Brien County on the Iowa outage map
- Normal
- Minor
- Moderate
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- Severe
- Limited data
Current outages
Weather alerts
No active outage-relevant weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
O'Brien County power outage history
Every significant outage recorded in O'Brien County since late 2014, with likely causes from NOAA storm reports
Since late 2014, DOE's EAGLE-I monitoring system has recorded 126 significant power outages in O'Brien County, meaning events that left at least 1% of customers in the dark. The largest (Jul 5–6, 2022) came when severe thunderstorms left 3,169 customers (63% of the county) without power.
From 2018 to 2025, the average customer here lost about 2 hr 58 min of power per year, less than the Iowa average of 5 hr 30 min. That ranks 58th of 99 Iowa counties for outage time, where 1st has the most.
July is the riskiest month: it accounted for 30% of all customer outage time from 2018 to 2025. On 45 days in that period, at least 5% of customers were out at the same time. Outage time in O'Brien County has risen recently: about 4 hr 6 min per customer per year in 2022–2025, versus 1 hr 49 min in 2018–2021.
The most recent significant outage on record (Dec 14, 2025) affected 80 customers (1.6%) amid extreme cold.
Worst outages on record
| # | When | Peak customers out | Days | Likely cause (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 5–6, 2022 | 3,169(63%) | 2 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 2 | Jul 28–30, 2025 | 2,415(48%) | 3 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 3 | Dec 23–24, 2020 | 1,608(32%) | 2 | Winter storm |
| 4 | Apr 13–14, 2018 | 1,477(29.4%) | 2 | Winter storm |
| 5 | May 7, 2024 | 1,314(26.1%) | 1 | Severe thunderstorms |
Hours without power per customer, by year
When outages happen
Source: DOE/ORNL EAGLE-I recorded electricity outages, 2014–2025 (CC BY 4.0), with likely causes from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database. EAGLE-I coverage was partial before 2018, so averages use 2018–2025. Peak counts are the highest number of customers out at one time.
Who provides electricity in O'Brien County?
Electric companies with service territory in O'Brien County (EIA-861, 2025)
| Utility | Type | Customers (IA) | Avg. outage time / yr | Live data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy | Investor Owned | 750,247 | Reporting | |
| Alliant Energy (Iowa) | Investor Owned | 506,498 | Not reporting | |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | 13,283 | Not reporting | |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | 10,461 | Not reporting | |
| Osceola Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 1,276 | Not reporting | |
| City of Hartley - (IA) | Municipal | 967 | Not reporting | |
| City of Sanborn - (IA) | Municipal | 808 | Not reporting | |
| City of Paullina - (IA) | Municipal | 657 | Not reporting | |
| City of Primghar - (IA) | Municipal | 585 | Not reporting | |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | — | Not reporting |
Customer counts are each utility's statewide total in Iowa. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 & Electric Power Annual.
Local outage news
No O'Brien County outage headlines in the past week.
Nearby counties
O'Brien County power outage FAQ
Is the power out in O'Brien County right now?
No outages are currently reported for O'Brien County by participating utilities. If your power is out, report it to your electric company.
Which electric company serves O'Brien County?
According to EIA-861 service territory data, MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop and 6 others provide electric service in O'Brien County, Iowa.
What was the worst power outage in O'Brien County?
The largest outage recorded by DOE's EAGLE-I system since 2014 was Jul 5–6, 2022. It peaked at 3,169 customers without power (63% of the county). NOAA storm reports for that period point to severe thunderstorms.
How often does the power go out in O'Brien County?
EAGLE-I has recorded 126 significant outages here since late 2014. From 2018 to 2025 the average customer lost about 2 hr 58 min of power per year, and on 45 days at least 5% of customers were out at once.
Cite this page
You may reuse our derived data under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. Underlying government data is public domain.
PowerOutageTracker.com. "O'Brien County, IA Power Outages." Accessed November 2, 2026. https://poweroutagetracker.com/outages/iowa/obrien-county