810
Recorded events
90
Counties affected
41
Direct deaths
$54.8M
Property damage
North Carolina lightning history: 810 recorded events across 90 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
North Carolina lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 320 reported lightning events across North Carolina. 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 North Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mecklenburg County | 46 | 3 | $3.7M | 1997–2017 |
| #2 | New Hanover County | 41 | 5 | $1.1M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Wake County | 41 | 4 | $2.7M | 1998–2023 |
| #4 | Brunswick County | 30 | 1 | $1.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Cleveland County | 25 | 0 | $936K | 1996–2018 |
| #6 | Iredell County | 24 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Catawba County | 21 | 0 | $615K | 1996–2021 |
| #8 | Gaston County | 19 | 0 | $533K | 1996–2014 |
| #9 | Burke County | 19 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Henderson County | 19 | 0 | $535K | 1996–2023 |
| #11 | Wilkes County | 18 | 0 | $711K | 1996–2023 |
| #12 | Union County | 18 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2012 |
| #13 | Surry County | 17 | 0 | $861K | 1997–2021 |
| #14 | Cumberland County | 16 | 0 | $1.8M | 2000–2015 |
| #15 | Columbus County | 16 | 2 | $398K | 1996–2023 |
| #16 | Jackson County | 15 | 1 | $2.6M | 1997–2011 |
| #17 | Rutherford County | 15 | 0 | $343K | 1997–2017 |
| #18 | Johnston County | 15 | 0 | $393K | 1999–2023 |
| #19 | Pender County | 14 | 2 | $187K | 1999–2025 |
| #20 | Macon County | 14 | 0 | $1.8M | 1998–2010 |
| #21 | Moore County | 14 | 2 | $713K | 2000–2022 |
| #22 | Buncombe County | 14 | 1 | $255K | 1996–2011 |
| #23 | Rowan County | 13 | 0 | $439K | 1999–2012 |
| #24 | Bladen County | 13 | 0 | $136K | 1996–2023 |
| #25 | Transylvania County | 13 | 0 | $835K | 1999–2016 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in North Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2003 | Mecklenburg County | — | 3 | 1 |
| Aug 5, 2020 | New Hanover County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 25, 1999 | Columbus County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 19, 2012 | New Hanover County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | Pender County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 8, 2006 | Craven County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 8, 1999 | Jackson County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 24, 1999 | Wake County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 31, 2016 | Currituck County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 18, 2017 | Lee County | — | 1 | 0 |