Polk County, IA Power Outages
As of Nov 2, 10:45 PM EST, no power outages were reported in Polk County, Iowa by MidAmerican Energy Co.
Polk County on the Iowa outage map
- Normal
- Minor
- Moderate
- Major
- Severe
- Limited data
Current outages
Weather alerts
No active outage-relevant weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
Polk County power outage history
Every significant outage recorded in Polk County since late 2014, with likely causes from NOAA storm reports
Since late 2014, DOE's EAGLE-I monitoring system has recorded 141 significant power outages in Polk County, meaning events that left at least 1% of customers in the dark. The largest (Aug 10–16, 2020) came when severe thunderstorms left 114,873 customers (40% of the county) without power.
From 2018 to 2025, the average customer here lost about 3 hr 56 min of power per year, less than the Iowa average of 5 hr 30 min. That ranks 44th of 99 Iowa counties for outage time, where 1st has the most.
August is the riskiest month: it accounted for 66% of all customer outage time from 2018 to 2025. On 15 days in that period, at least 5% of customers were out at the same time. Outage time in Polk County has fallen recently: about 1 hr 43 min per customer per year in 2022–2025, versus 6 hr 8 min in 2018–2021.
The most recent significant outage on record (Oct 20, 2025) affected 3,739 customers (1.3%).
Worst outages on record
| # | When | Peak customers out | Days | Likely cause (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 10–16, 2020 | 114,873(40%) | 7 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 2 | May 21–24, 2024 | 26,999(9.4%) | 4 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 3 | Jul 28–30, 2025 | 24,009(8.4%) | 3 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 4 | Jul 1, 2018 | 19,193(6.7%) | 1 | Flooding |
| 5 | Apr 24, 2022 | 19,067(6.6%) | 1 | Tornadoes |
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 Polk County?
Electric companies with service territory in Polk 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 | |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | 12,717 | Not reporting | |
| Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | 7,765 | Not reporting | |
| Waverly Municipal Elec Utility - (IA) | Municipal | 5,232 | 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 Polk County outage headlines in the past week.
Cities in Polk County
Des Moines, Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, Altoona, Clive, Grimes
Nearby counties
Polk County power outage FAQ
Is the power out in Polk County right now?
No outages are currently reported for Polk County by participating utilities. If your power is out, report it to your electric company.
Which electric company serves Polk County?
According to EIA-861 service territory data, MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) and 1 others provide electric service in Polk County, Iowa.
What was the worst power outage in Polk County?
The largest outage recorded by DOE's EAGLE-I system since 2014 was Aug 10–16, 2020. It peaked at 114,873 customers without power (40% of the county). NOAA storm reports for that period point to severe thunderstorms.
How often does the power go out in Polk County?
EAGLE-I has recorded 141 significant outages here since late 2014. From 2018 to 2025 the average customer lost about 3 hr 56 min of power per year, and on 15 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. "Polk County, IA Power Outages." Accessed November 2, 2026. https://poweroutagetracker.com/outages/iowa/polk-county