Wilkes County, NC Power Outages
Only some utilities serving Wilkes County, North Carolina share live outage data (EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC)), and none of them report outages here right now. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC and Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp do not share live data, so check their outage maps for real-time status.
Wilkes County on the North Carolina outage map
- Normal
- Minor
- Moderate
- Major
- Severe
- Limited data
Current outages
Weather alerts
No active outage-relevant weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
Wilkes County power outage history
Every significant outage recorded in Wilkes County since late 2014, with likely causes from NOAA storm reports
Since late 2014, DOE's EAGLE-I monitoring system has recorded 469 significant power outages in Wilkes County, meaning events that left at least 1% of customers in the dark. The largest (Oct 23–30, 2017) came when tornadoes left 25,695 customers (100% of the county) without power.
From 2018 to 2025, the average customer here lost about 44 hr 16 min of power per year, more than the North Carolina average of 26 hr 3 min. That ranks 25th of 100 North Carolina counties for outage time, where 1st has the most.
September is the riskiest month: it accounted for 45% of all customer outage time from 2018 to 2025. On 278 days in that period, at least 5% of customers were out at the same time. Outage time in Wilkes County has risen recently: about 64 hr 4 min per customer per year in 2022–2025, versus 24 hr 27 min in 2018–2021.
The most recent significant outage on record (Dec 28–30, 2025) affected 260 customers (3.2%) amid high winds.
Worst outages on record
| # | When | Peak customers out | Days | Likely cause (NOAA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 23–30, 2017 | 25,695(100%) | 8 | Tornadoes |
| 2 | Jul 8–16, 2016 | 23,217(100%) | 9 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 3 | Sep 22 – Oct 9, 2024 | 22,628(100%) | 18 | Tornadoes |
| 4 | Jun 16–22, 2020 | 9,834(100%) | 7 | Severe thunderstorms |
| 5 | Feb 16–19, 2016 | 7,359(91.5%) | 4 | Winter storm |
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 Wilkes County?
Electric companies with service territory in Wilkes County (EIA-861, 2025)
| Utility | Type | Customers (NC) | Avg. outage time / yr | Live data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas | Investor Owned | 2,274,896 | Not reporting | |
| EnergyUnited | Cooperative | 145,028 | Reporting | |
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | 81,175 | Reporting | |
| Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | 28,798 | Not reporting |
Customer counts are each utility's statewide total in North Carolina. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 & Electric Power Annual.
Local outage news
No Wilkes County outage headlines in the past week.
Wilkes County power outage FAQ
Is the power out in Wilkes County right now?
No outages are currently reported for Wilkes County by participating utilities. Live coverage is limited here, so If your power is out, report it to your electric company.
Which electric company serves Wilkes County?
According to EIA-861 service territory data, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC), Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp provide electric service in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
What was the worst power outage in Wilkes County?
The largest outage recorded by DOE's EAGLE-I system since 2014 was Oct 23–30, 2017. It peaked at 25,695 customers without power (100% of the county). NOAA storm reports for that period point to tornadoes.
How often does the power go out in Wilkes County?
EAGLE-I has recorded 469 significant outages here since late 2014. From 2018 to 2025 the average customer lost about 44 hr 16 min of power per year, and on 278 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. "Wilkes County, NC Power Outages." Accessed November 3, 2026. https://poweroutagetracker.com/outages/north-carolina/wilkes-county