631
Recorded events
21
Counties affected
24
Direct deaths
$24.9M
Property damage
New Jersey lightning history: 631 recorded events across 21 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
New Jersey lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 339 reported lightning events across New Jersey. 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 New Jersey
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ocean County | 78 | 5 | $1.8M | 1997–2025 |
| #2 | Monmouth County | 64 | 7 | $2.4M | 1997–2016 |
| #3 | Bergen County | 52 | 3 | $521K | 1996–2023 |
| #4 | Morris County | 49 | 0 | $1.0M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Burlington County | 46 | 2 | $3.1M | 1997–2021 |
| #6 | Middlesex County | 45 | 0 | $675K | 1996–2024 |
| #7 | Mercer County | 38 | 0 | $1.8M | 1997–2020 |
| #8 | Somerset County | 37 | 0 | $2.5M | 1998–2021 |
| #9 | Gloucester County | 26 | 0 | $218K | 1998–2017 |
| #10 | Atlantic County | 26 | 2 | $1.3M | 2001–2017 |
| #11 | Sussex County | 25 | 1 | $196K | 1996–2025 |
| #12 | Hunterdon County | 23 | 1 | $302K | 1997–2023 |
| #13 | Essex County | 23 | 1 | $202K | 1996–2025 |
| #14 | Cape May County | 20 | 0 | $134K | 2000–2024 |
| #15 | Union County | 15 | 0 | $63K | 1996–2025 |
| #16 | Camden County | 15 | 0 | $291K | 1999–2020 |
| #17 | Passaic County | 15 | 1 | $8.1M | 1996–2021 |
| #18 | Warren County | 13 | 0 | $21K | 2000–2019 |
| #19 | Cumberland County | 9 | 1 | $7K | 2000–2014 |
| #20 | Salem County | 7 | 0 | $111K | 2001–2013 |
| #21 | Hudson County | 5 | 0 | $29K | 1999–2009 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in New Jersey
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2006 | Bergen County | — | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 7, 2012 | Bergen County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 18, 2007 | Monmouth County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | Ocean County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 14, 1999 | Burlington County | — | 1 | 6 |
| Jul 27, 2008 | Monmouth County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | Ocean County | — | 1 | 14 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | Burlington County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 20, 2010 | Monmouth County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Sep 9, 2007 | Passaic County | — | 1 | 0 |