63
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$3.5M
Property damage
Lightning in Mobile County, Alabama: 63 recorded events between 1996 and 2019. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #20 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Mobile County, Alabama: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Mobile County is the 2000s, when 44 of the county's 63 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Mobile County archive, lightning makes up 5.6% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #20 for this hazard and #2 within Alabama, putting it in the 99.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for lightning in Mobile County with 23 recorded events, while Oct is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2019 | PRICHARD | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 1998 | MOBILE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 29, 1997 | DAUPHIN IS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 13, 1997 | (BFM)MOBILE BROOKLEY | 0 | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2002 | (MOB)MOBILE BATES FL | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2002 | BAYOU LA BATRE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2015 | MOBILE BATES FLD | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2006 | THEODORE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2019 | PRICHARD | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 2, 2017 | COTTAGE HILL | 0 | $10K |
| Jan 2, 2017 | (MOB)MOBILE BATES FL | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 17, 2015 | MOBILE BATES FLD | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2013 | MOBILE BATES FLD | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 5, 2013 | MOBILE BATES FLD | 0 | $10K |
| May 2, 2013 | THEODORE | 0 | $15K |
| Feb 25, 2013 | MOBILE BATES FLD | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 18, 2008 | THEODORE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2008 | MOBILE | 0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Mobile County
- Thunderstorm Wind 473
- Hail 242
- Flash Flood 173
- Tornado 127
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two males were fishing from a boat near the bayway in Mobile Bay in a fishing tournament. Thunderstorms had been moving through the area for several hours. Lightning hit one of the males and he died before reaching the hospital.
Two males were fishing in a wooden boat, when lightning struck and killed one occupant. The other occupant was not injured. They were fishing along the northern section of the island when the lightning struck. There were numerous storms in the area at the time.
Lightning struck an elementary school just north of Semmes. The lightning struck the roof and a fire started in the ceiling. It took several hours to put the fire out. Most of the damage was confined to the roof and ceiling area.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Mobile County, Alabama?
63 lightning events are recorded in Mobile County between 1996 and 2019, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Mobile County?
The strongest lightning on record in Mobile County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Mobile County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Lightning in Mobile County, Alabama.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alabama/mobile-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.