54
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
10
Direct injuries
$6.0M
Property damage
Lightning in Cherokee County, Georgia: 54 recorded events between 1997 and 2018. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #31 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Cherokee County, Georgia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Cherokee County is the 2000s, when 28 of the county's 54 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 Cherokee County archive, lightning makes up 8.6% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #31 for this hazard and #2 within Georgia, putting it in the 98.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Cherokee County with 19 recorded events, while Mar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2000 | WOODSTOCK | 0 | 0 | 6 | $30K |
| Aug 2, 2008 | CANTON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $350K |
| Jul 6, 2004 | CANTON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $400K |
| Aug 16, 2002 | WALESKA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 11, 2000 | HOLLY SPGS | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2018 | CHEROKEE | 0 | $1K |
| Jun 28, 2018 | FREE HOME | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 15, 2017 | BUFFINGTON | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 14, 2017 | VICTORIA | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 31, 2016 | OAK GROVE | 0 | $50K |
| Sep 9, 2015 | CANTON | 0 | $12K |
| Jul 15, 2015 | LEBANON | 0 | $30K |
| Jul 15, 2015 | VICTORIA | 0 | $30K |
| Jul 15, 2015 | LEBANON | 0 | $30K |
| Jul 15, 2015 | LATHEMTOWN | 0 | $30K |
Other hazards here
More from Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind 342
- Hail 170
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution and the Cherokee county Sheriff's department reported that eight homes were set on fire by lightning. The fires were concentrated in Canton, Holly Springs, and Cherokee. Three of the homes were so badly damaged that they were declared to be uninhabitable.
The Cherokee Tribune reported that a male was struck by lightning. The man was treated and released. Elsewhere in the county, lightning struck three homes as well as the building which houses the 911 center and jail. The 911 center and jail suffered major damage when lightning struck the facility. Damages to these facilities alone was estimated at $200,000. A house on Shotwell Drive was struck by lightning and the attic set on fire. Another home on Bradshaw Club Drive suffered major damage to the roof and second floor from a lightning strike and resulting fire. A third home on Tribal Trail took a direct hit from lightning. The garage suffered considerable damage when it was set on fire. Much of Canton was without power for several hours during the intense lightning storm.
The Cherokee County Emergency Management Director reported that an individual was struck by lightning seven miles southwest of Canton and sustained non life-threatening injuries. In addition, two homes in the southwest and southern part of the county were struck by lightning and set on fire, One of the homes was in the Towne Lake Subdivision on Players Court and was totally destroyed. The Cherokee Tribune reported that up to 134 homes in the area sustained at least minor damage from wind and/or lightning.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Cherokee County, Georgia?
54 lightning events are recorded in Cherokee County between 1997 and 2018, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Cherokee County?
The strongest lightning on record in Cherokee County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/cherokee-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.