394
Recorded events
78
Counties affected
12
Direct deaths
$26.9M
Property damage
Indiana lightning history: 394 recorded events across 78 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Indiana lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 248 reported lightning events across Indiana. 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 Indiana
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hamilton County | 53 | 1 | $8.7M | 1996–2019 |
| #2 | Johnson County | 27 | 0 | $2.0M | 1996–2020 |
| #3 | Marion County | 22 | 3 | $2.4M | 1996–2023 |
| #4 | Porter County | 16 | 0 | $247K | 1996–2012 |
| #5 | Hendricks County | 14 | 0 | $636K | 1997–2023 |
| #6 | Lake County | 13 | 1 | $180K | 1996–2016 |
| #7 | Kosciusko County | 12 | 0 | $745K | 1998–2022 |
| #8 | St. Joseph County | 12 | 0 | $2.5M | 2000–2024 |
| #9 | Madison County | 9 | 0 | $196K | 1999–2009 |
| #10 | Delaware County | 9 | 1 | $652K | 1998–2025 |
| #11 | Allen County | 9 | 1 | $295K | 2007–2022 |
| #12 | Hancock County | 8 | 0 | $357K | 1996–2015 |
| #13 | Decatur County | 8 | 1 | $209K | 1996–2016 |
| #14 | Morgan County | 7 | 0 | $650K | 1996–2004 |
| #15 | Shelby County | 7 | 0 | $277K | 1996–2009 |
| #16 | Elkhart County | 7 | 0 | $235K | 2001–2024 |
| #17 | Adams County | 6 | 0 | $540K | 1998–2010 |
| #18 | Vanderburgh County | 6 | 1 | $110K | 1997–2023 |
| #19 | LaPorte County | 6 | 0 | $20K | 1996–2011 |
| #20 | Bartholomew County | 6 | 0 | $570K | 1996–2020 |
| #21 | Boone County | 5 | 0 | $385K | 1996–2006 |
| #22 | Henry County | 5 | 0 | $560K | 1996–2011 |
| #23 | Wells County | 5 | 0 | $344K | 2001–2008 |
| #24 | Marshall County | 5 | 1 | $91K | 2003–2025 |
| #25 | Vigo County | 4 | 0 | $104K | 2002–2009 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Indiana
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2010 | Allen County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 18, 2006 | Marion County | — | 1 | 1 |
| May 28, 1996 | Decatur County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 11, 2009 | Marion County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 22, 1998 | Delaware County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 21, 2019 | Marshall County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 30, 2004 | Fountain County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 2020 | Vanderburgh County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 8, 1999 | Hamilton County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 7, 1998 | Knox County | — | 1 | 0 |