241
Recorded events
69
Counties affected
28
Direct deaths
$12.6M
Property damage
Ohio lightning history: 241 recorded events across 69 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Ohio lightning history by decade
The 1990s are the busiest decade on record with 130 reported lightning events across Ohio. 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 Ohio
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stark County | 19 | 1 | $876K | 1996–2017 |
| #2 | Hamilton County | 18 | 4 | $660K | 1996–2019 |
| #3 | Cuyahoga County | 11 | 2 | $195K | 1996–2005 |
| #4 | Lorain County | 10 | 0 | $1.0M | 1996–2005 |
| #5 | Ashtabula County | 8 | 0 | $307K | 1996–2005 |
| #6 | Franklin County | 7 | 4 | $21K | 1999–2025 |
| #7 | Butler County | 7 | 2 | $805K | 1996–2018 |
| #8 | Washington County | 7 | 0 | $189K | 1996–2017 |
| #9 | Erie County | 7 | 0 | $447K | 1996–1998 |
| #10 | Summit County | 7 | 0 | $215K | 1996–2004 |
| #11 | Portage County | 7 | 0 | $175K | 1996–2000 |
| #12 | Clermont County | 6 | 0 | $61K | 1996–2002 |
| #13 | Wood County | 6 | 0 | $445K | 1996–2019 |
| #14 | Geauga County | 6 | 0 | $311K | 1996–1999 |
| #15 | Warren County | 5 | 1 | $750K | 1998–2010 |
| #16 | Shelby County | 5 | 1 | $171K | 1996–2022 |
| #17 | Miami County | 5 | 1 | $24K | 1996–2019 |
| #18 | Athens County | 4 | 0 | $53K | 2001–2015 |
| #19 | Ross County | 4 | 2 | $80K | 1996–2005 |
| #20 | Huron County | 4 | 2 | $100K | 1997–2008 |
| #21 | Medina County | 4 | 0 | $105K | 1996–2005 |
| #22 | Wayne County | 4 | 0 | $605K | 1997–2006 |
| #23 | Ottawa County | 4 | 0 | $99K | 1998–2000 |
| #24 | Clark County | 4 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2003 |
| #25 | Montgomery County | 3 | 0 | $100K | 2001–2015 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Ohio
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2019 | Hamilton County | — | 2 | 1 |
| Aug 21, 1996 | Cuyahoga County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 3, 2012 | Muskingum County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 6, 1999 | Cuyahoga County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 26, 2005 | Hardin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 1996 | Ross County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 18, 2002 | Franklin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 11, 1999 | Huron County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 30, 2005 | Ross County | — | 1 | 5 |
| Jun 28, 1998 | Belmont County | — | 1 | 0 |