535
Recorded events
103
Counties affected
16
Direct deaths
$16.2M
Property damage
Virginia lightning history: 535 recorded events across 103 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Virginia lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 192 reported lightning events across Virginia. 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 Virginia
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bedford County | 22 | 1 | $496K | 1997–2025 |
| #2 | Campbell County | 22 | 1 | $425K | 1996–2024 |
| #3 | Franklin County | 21 | 0 | $606K | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Pittsylvania County | 17 | 0 | $177K | 1996–2024 |
| #5 | Halifax County | 17 | 0 | $199K | 1996–2023 |
| #6 | Loudoun County | 17 | 0 | $986K | 1996–2022 |
| #7 | Henry County | 16 | 1 | $1.0M | 1997–2022 |
| #8 | Fairfax County | 15 | 0 | $2.4M | 1997–2008 |
| #9 | Virginia Beach city | 14 | 3 | $369K | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Chesterfield County | 13 | 0 | $220K | 1996–2025 |
| #11 | Rockingham County | 12 | 1 | $482K | 1996–2003 |
| #12 | Henrico County | 12 | 0 | $749K | 1996–2025 |
| #13 | Frederick County | 12 | 0 | $279K | 1996–2008 |
| #14 | Lynchburg city | 11 | 0 | $316K | 1997–2025 |
| #15 | Albemarle County | 10 | 0 | $24K | 1998–2021 |
| #16 | Montgomery County | 10 | 0 | $502K | 1998–2023 |
| #17 | Carroll County | 9 | 0 | $286K | 1996–2025 |
| #18 | Buckingham County | 8 | 0 | $81K | 2007–2025 |
| #19 | Spotsylvania County | 8 | 0 | $121K | 1996–2003 |
| #20 | James City County | 8 | 1 | $119K | 2000–2014 |
| #21 | Prince William County | 8 | 0 | $121K | 1996–2019 |
| #22 | Fredericksburg city | 7 | 1 | $18K | 1998–2009 |
| #23 | Chesapeake city | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 1997–2021 |
| #24 | Roanoke County | 7 | 0 | $103K | 1996–2025 |
| #25 | Fauquier County | 7 | 2 | $56K | 1996–2004 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Virginia
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2001 | Fauquier County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 1996 | Rockingham County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 14, 2019 | Bath County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 7, 2000 | Falls Church city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 2016 | Bedford County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 3, 2009 | Fredericksburg city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 9, 2007 | Campbell County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 4, 1999 | Culpeper County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 11, 2001 | Norfolk city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2000 | Virginia Beach city | — | 1 | 1 |