Power outages in Buena Vista County, IA
Live outage counts for Storm Lake, Alta and Newell and the rest of Buena Vista County, updated every 10 minutes from MidAmerican Energy.
Right now
No live outage data for Buena Vista County yet.
Interstate Power and Light Cono live feedServes this county, per federal utility records.
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This utility doesn't publish outage data we can read automatically, so it isn't in our totals. Its own outage map has its current outages.i
From EIA Form 861, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's yearly survey of every electric utility and the areas it serves.Iowa Lakes Electric Coopno live feedServes this county, per federal utility records.
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This utility doesn't publish outage data we can read automatically, so it isn't in our totals. Its own outage map has its current outages.i
From EIA Form 861, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's yearly survey of every electric utility and the areas it serves.City of Alta - (IA)no live feedServes this county, per federal utility records.
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This utility doesn't publish outage data we can read automatically, so it isn't in our totals. Its own outage map has its current outages.i
From EIA Form 861, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's yearly survey of every electric utility and the areas it serves.Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperativeno live feedServes this county, per federal utility records.
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This utility doesn't publish outage data we can read automatically, so it isn't in our totals. Its own outage map has its current outages.i
From EIA Form 861, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's yearly survey of every electric utility and the areas it serves.City of Marathon - (IA)no live feedServes this county, per federal utility records.
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This utility doesn't publish outage data we can read automatically, so it isn't in our totals. Its own outage map has its current outages.i
From EIA Form 861, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's yearly survey of every electric utility and the areas it serves.Outage map
County outlineMidAmerican Energy publishes totals only, not outage locations.
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Some utilities publish only how many customers are out, not where. Their outages are in the counts but can't be drawn on the map.Outage history in Buena Vista County
2014–2025 recordBuena Vista County averaged 8.7 significant outages a year in 2023–2025, fewer than most Iowa counties.
In the 12 months to December 2025, there were 10. Half were over within 3 hours; the longest lasted 24 hours, starting April 18, 2025.
The largest on record began April 18, 2025, with 6,428 customers out at once.
8.7significant outages a year (2023–2025)
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At least 1% of the area's customers, and at least 100, without power at the same time. Outages less than 6 hours apart count as one.1.5 hourstypical (median) length
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Half of significant outages here ended sooner than this, and half lasted longer.24 hourslongest on record (April 2025)
6,428most customers out at once
| Largest events (start) | Peak out | LastediHow long this area stayed at or above the significant-outage line, not how long any one home was without power. | Customer-hoursiCustomers out multiplied by hours out, added up over the event. 1,000 customers out for 3 hours is 3,000 customer-hours. |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 18, 2025 | 6,428 | 24 hours | 77,584 |
| July 29, 2025 | 3,558 | 13 hours | 13,966 |
| May 30, 2022 | 2,363 | 3.5 hours | 5,042 |
| November 10, 2020 | 1,936 | 3.5 hours | 3,768 |
| January 3, 2023 | 1,905 | 1.5 hours | 1,458 |
Recorded outages from EAGLE-I, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (CC BY 4.0).i
From EAGLE-I, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's record of utility outage data every 15 minutes since 2014 (CC BY 4.0). It covered about 9 in 10 U.S. customers.
If your power is out
Report it to your utility
- MidAmerican Energy: outage map and reporting
- Stay at least 35 feet from downed power lines and report them right away.
Food safety
- 0–4 hKeep the fridge closed. It keeps food cold for about 4 hours.
- 4 h+Throw out meat, dairy and leftovers that have been above 40°F for more than 2 hours.
- 24 hA half-full freezer holds about 24 hours if kept closed.
- 48 hA full freezer holds about 48 hours.
Generators, heat and cold
- Run generators outside only, at least 20 feet from windows and doors. Never in a garage.
- Use a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm.
- Never heat your home with a gas stove or oven.
Cities in Buena Vista County
Utilities
- MidAmerican Energy
- Interstate Power and Light Co no live feed
- Iowa Lakes Electric Coop no live feed
- City of Alta - (IA) no live feed
- Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative no live feed
- City of Marathon - (IA) no live feed
- All Iowa outages