83
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
59
Direct injuries
$20.6M
Property damage
Lightning in Palm Beach County, Florida: 83 recorded events between 1996 and 2020. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #8 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Palm Beach County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Palm Beach County is the 2000s, when 38 of the county's 83 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 Palm Beach County archive, lightning makes up 7.6% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #8 for this hazard and #6 within Florida, putting it in the 99.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Palm Beach County with 27 recorded events, while Nov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2019 | WELLINGTON | 0 | 1 | 5 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2018 | LAKE WORTH | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2016 | HYPOLUXO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2007 | BOCA RATON | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 26, 2006 | WEST PALM BEACH | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2003 | DELRAY BEACH | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2003 | BOCA RATON | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2002 | JUPITER | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2020 | DELRAY BEACH | 0 | $2K |
| Aug 17, 2019 | PALM BEACH GARDENS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2019 | WELLINGTON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2018 | LAKE WORTH | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2017 | WESTGATE | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 29, 2016 | WELLINGTON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2016 | CANAL PT | 0 | $100K |
| Apr 15, 2016 | HYPOLUXO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 30, 2016 | GREENACRES CITY | 0 | $5K |
| Mar 29, 2016 | BOCA RATON | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Palm Beach County
- Thunderstorm Wind 303
- Tornado 197
- Hail 171
- Funnel Cloud 142
- Waterspout 64
- Flood 55
- Flash Flood 47
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Multiple media outlets reported that 2 men were working in a wooded area when a tree near them was struck by lightning sending the current into them. They both were then transported to local area hospitals where one man was deceased and the other survived his injuries.
A 20-year-old male was struck while lightning while playing soccer at Lake Wyman Park in Boca Raton. The victim went to the hospital and died 3 days later. Time of lightning strike is estimated.||A thunderstorm had passed through the park and the victim along with a group of friends took refuge in a park restroom. After the rain stopped, the group went back outside. Lightning struck shortly thereafter, striking the ground near the victim and traveled along the wet grass, entering the victim's left foot. There was a hole in his left shoe and both his socks were burned off.
A 28-year old man working on a roof at the Admiral's Cove subdivision was struck by lightning and mortally injured. He was holding roof flashing and a metal tray when the lightning struck.. He was transported to the hospital where he died 9 days later.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Palm Beach County, Florida?
83 lightning events are recorded in Palm Beach County between 1996 and 2020, causing 10 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Palm Beach County?
The strongest lightning on record in Palm Beach County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/palm-beach-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.