43
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$991K
Property damage
Lightning in York County, Maine: 43 recorded events between 1997 and 2013. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #61 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in York County, Maine: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in York County is the 2000s, when 32 of the county's 43 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 York County archive, lightning makes up 8.3% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #61 for this hazard and #1 within Maine, putting it in the 97.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for lightning in York County with 16 recorded events, while Jan 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 1, 2001 | YORK VLG | 0 | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2001 | ALFRED | 0 | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Jun 24, 2013 | EAST LEBANON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2003 | ELIOT | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 23, 1999 | SANFORD | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 1999 | BUXTON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2013 | EAST LEBANON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 5, 2009 | SANFORD | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 2, 2009 | KENNEBUNK | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 24, 2008 | SANFORD | 0 | $60K |
| Jun 22, 2008 | SANFORD | 0 | $100K |
| May 11, 2007 | YORK HARBOR | 0 | $8K |
| Jul 11, 2006 | ACTON | 0 | $6K |
| Jun 1, 2006 | YORK VLG | 0 | $50K |
| Jun 1, 2006 | KITTERY | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 2, 2005 | YORK VLG | 0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from York County
- Thunderstorm Wind 264
- Hail 149
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning damaged four homes in the Kennebunk area. In one incident, lightning struck a tall pine and followed the roots to underground pipes, and then followed the pipes to three separate homes. In one of the homes, the doors and windows were blown out and the basement filled with smoke. The two other homes lost appliances and electronic equipment. In another incident, lightning struck a fourth home, but the damage was minimal.
A teenage boy was struck by lightning inside his home. The lightning reportedly shot across the room, although no details were available concerning what the boy was doing at the time. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and observation.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in York County, Maine?
43 lightning events are recorded in York County between 1997 and 2013, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in York County?
The strongest lightning on record in York County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for York 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 York County, Maine.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maine/york-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.