355
Recorded events
42
Counties affected
16
Direct deaths
$8.1M
Property damage
California lightning history: 355 recorded events across 42 counties between 1996 and 2024.
Decade by decade
California lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 162 reported lightning events across California. 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 California
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | San Bernardino County | 63 | 3 | $1.4M | 1996–2024 |
| #2 | San Diego County | 43 | 1 | $183K | 1997–2023 |
| #3 | Kern County | 41 | 1 | $355K | 1997–2022 |
| #4 | Fresno County | 37 | 1 | $2.8M | 1997–2024 |
| #5 | Riverside County | 35 | 1 | $251K | 1996–2024 |
| #6 | Tulare County | 25 | 2 | $42K | 1996–2017 |
| #7 | Los Angeles County | 10 | 3 | $0 | 1996–2022 |
| #8 | Kings County | 10 | 0 | $51K | 2002–2017 |
| #9 | Mariposa County | 9 | 0 | $150K | 1998–2023 |
| #10 | Merced County | 9 | 0 | $1.0M | 1998–2016 |
| #11 | San Francisco County | 7 | 0 | $120K | 2009–2018 |
| #12 | Madera County | 7 | 0 | $5K | 1999–2014 |
| #13 | Santa Clara County | 5 | 0 | $0 | 2018–2020 |
| #14 | Orange County | 4 | 0 | $62K | 1998–2016 |
| #15 | Butte County | 4 | 0 | $136K | 2007–2019 |
| #16 | San Mateo County | 4 | 0 | $0 | 2017–2020 |
| #17 | Sonoma County | 3 | 0 | $1.0M | 2001–2020 |
| #18 | Monterey County | 3 | 0 | $2K | 2020–2023 |
| #19 | Stanislaus County | 3 | 0 | $220K | 1999–2018 |
| #20 | Nevada County | 3 | 1 | $15K | 1999–2012 |
| #21 | Mono County | 2 | 0 | $0 | 2004–2019 |
| #22 | Tuolumne County | 2 | 1 | $0 | 1999–2013 |
| #23 | Shasta County | 2 | 0 | $15K | 2019–2023 |
| #24 | Alameda County | 2 | 0 | $3K | 2011–2020 |
| #25 | San Joaquin County | 2 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2009 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in California
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2005 | Tulare County | — | 2 | 7 |
| Jul 1, 2013 | Tuolumne County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2009 | Plumas County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2003 | Riverside County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 3, 2001 | San Bernardino County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 30, 2021 | Fresno County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 11, 2004 | San Bernardino County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 19, 2015 | Kern County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 3, 2009 | San Bernardino County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 23, 1999 | Los Angeles County | — | 1 | 0 |