287
Recorded events
72
Counties affected
9
Direct deaths
$23.5M
Property damage
Minnesota lightning history: 287 recorded events across 72 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Minnesota lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 106 reported lightning events across Minnesota. 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 Minnesota
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | St. Louis County | 26 | 1 | $1.6M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Hennepin County | 19 | 0 | $2.7M | 1996–2016 |
| #3 | Olmsted County | 19 | 0 | $2.0M | 1999–2020 |
| #4 | Dakota County | 16 | 0 | $2.4M | 2001–2020 |
| #5 | Washington County | 11 | 1 | $1.1M | 1996–2021 |
| #6 | Winona County | 9 | 0 | $110K | 1998–2019 |
| #7 | Stearns County | 9 | 2 | $180K | 1997–2015 |
| #8 | Crow Wing County | 8 | 0 | $1.9M | 1997–2019 |
| #9 | Anoka County | 7 | 0 | $50K | 1998–2018 |
| #10 | Mower County | 7 | 0 | $629K | 2005–2020 |
| #11 | Wright County | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 2005–2016 |
| #12 | Otter Tail County | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 1998–2002 |
| #13 | Becker County | 6 | 0 | $56K | 1997–2008 |
| #14 | Houston County | 6 | 0 | $1.6M | 2000–2021 |
| #15 | Carlton County | 5 | 0 | $745K | 2002–2025 |
| #16 | Dodge County | 5 | 0 | $945K | 2005–2019 |
| #17 | Itasca County | 5 | 1 | $0 | 1996–2007 |
| #18 | Koochiching County | 5 | 0 | $26K | 1997–2005 |
| #19 | Hubbard County | 4 | 0 | $312K | 2003–2018 |
| #20 | Polk County | 4 | 0 | $216K | 1998–2022 |
| #21 | Grant County | 4 | 0 | $106K | 1998–2007 |
| #22 | Carver County | 4 | 0 | $200K | 1997–2017 |
| #23 | Kandiyohi County | 4 | 0 | $70K | 1996–2017 |
| #24 | Cass County | 4 | 0 | $255K | 2015–2025 |
| #25 | Cottonwood County | 4 | 0 | $68K | 2000–2004 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Minnesota
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 1996 | Cook County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 21, 2009 | Washington County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 9, 2007 | Itasca County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 29, 1996 | Lake County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 27, 2013 | Pine County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 10, 1998 | Ramsey County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 18, 2012 | St. Louis County | — | 1 | 4 |
| Jun 27, 1998 | Stearns County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 6, 2009 | Stearns County | — | 1 | 1 |