1,311
Recorded events
147
Counties affected
39
Direct deaths
$99.4M
Property damage
Georgia lightning history: 1,311 recorded events across 147 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Georgia lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 744 reported lightning events across Georgia. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in Georgia
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Gwinnett County | 129 | 5 | $15.0M | 1997–2022 |
| #2 | Cherokee County | 54 | 0 | $6.0M | 1997–2018 |
| #3 | Coweta County | 52 | 0 | $3.3M | 1998–2015 |
| #4 | Fayette County | 50 | 1 | $6.5M | 1997–2023 |
| #5 | Cobb County | 49 | 3 | $4.9M | 1997–2017 |
| #6 | Chatham County | 48 | 2 | $4.8M | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Floyd County | 38 | 0 | $1.2M | 1997–2018 |
| #8 | Fulton County | 37 | 2 | $4.8M | 1997–2014 |
| #9 | Forsyth County | 36 | 1 | $4.4M | 1998–2017 |
| #10 | Carroll County | 22 | 0 | $1.5M | 1997–2010 |
| #11 | Douglas County | 22 | 0 | $2.7M | 1998–2025 |
| #12 | Bartow County | 22 | 0 | $1.8M | 1998–2024 |
| #13 | Upson County | 21 | 0 | $727K | 2001–2017 |
| #14 | Clayton County | 19 | 0 | $1.3M | 1997–2010 |
| #15 | Effingham County | 19 | 0 | $149K | 2001–2025 |
| #16 | Rockdale County | 18 | 0 | $2.1M | 1996–2012 |
| #17 | Houston County | 18 | 0 | $953K | 1998–2014 |
| #18 | DeKalb County | 17 | 1 | $982K | 1999–2021 |
| #19 | Jackson County | 16 | 0 | $1.0M | 2001–2025 |
| #20 | Barrow County | 16 | 0 | $4.1M | 2000–2017 |
| #21 | Hall County | 15 | 2 | $1.2M | 1998–2020 |
| #22 | Spalding County | 14 | 0 | $377K | 1998–2018 |
| #23 | Troup County | 14 | 0 | $948K | 1997–2014 |
| #24 | Laurens County | 13 | 0 | $466K | 1999–2021 |
| #25 | Fannin County | 13 | 0 | $383K | 2000–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Georgia
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2004 | Gwinnett County | — | 3 | 6 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Ware County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 26, 2000 | Brooks County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 28, 2005 | Hall County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 13, 2010 | Cobb County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 25, 2000 | Gilmer County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 31, 2003 | Lowndes County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 30, 2007 | Tift County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 3, 2020 | Colquitt County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 10, 1997 | Gwinnett County | — | 1 | 1 |