255
Recorded events
14
Counties affected
24
Direct deaths
$8.2M
Property damage
Arizona lightning history: 255 recorded events across 14 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Arizona lightning history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 100 reported lightning events across Arizona. 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 Arizona
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pima County | 78 | 3 | $1.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Maricopa County | 62 | 2 | $3.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Mohave County | 29 | 0 | $717K | 1998–2024 |
| #4 | Coconino County | 19 | 7 | $600K | 1997–2025 |
| #5 | Cochise County | 15 | 3 | $249K | 1996–2023 |
| #6 | Yavapai County | 14 | 0 | $330K | 1996–2018 |
| #7 | Gila County | 9 | 1 | $127K | 1997–2009 |
| #8 | Pinal County | 9 | 1 | $1.6M | 1999–2022 |
| #9 | Apache County | 5 | 4 | $8K | 2006–2013 |
| #10 | Navajo County | 5 | 2 | $60K | 2004–2013 |
| #11 | Santa Cruz County | 4 | 1 | $5K | 1996–2025 |
| #12 | Graham County | 2 | 0 | $100K | 2019–2021 |
| #13 | La Paz County | 2 | 0 | $12K | 2005–2009 |
| #14 | Yuma County | 2 | 0 | $20K | 2000–2009 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Arizona
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 2013 | Coconino County | — | 2 | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Apache County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 13, 2015 | Coconino County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 10, 2010 | Pima County | — | 1 | 1 |
| May 20, 1997 | Cochise County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 20, 2016 | Coconino County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 14, 2014 | Pima County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 21, 1997 | Cochise County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 12, 2000 | Gila County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Oct 22, 2000 | Pinal County | — | 1 | 1 |