49
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Lightning in Essex County, Massachusetts: 49 recorded events between 1997 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #42 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Essex County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Essex County is the 2000s, when 26 of the county's 49 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 Essex County archive, lightning makes up 7.4% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #42 for this hazard and #4 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 98.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for lightning in Essex County with 18 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2014 | CONOMO PT | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2008 | HAVERHILL ARPT | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 6, 2014 | SHAWSHEEN VLG | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2010 | FOREST RIVER | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2007 | PEABODY | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2023 | LAWRENCE | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 7, 2022 | MONTSERRAT | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 30, 2022 | DANVERSPORT | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 8, 2021 | GEORGETOWN | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 23, 2020 | NEWBURYPORT | 0 | $3K |
| Mar 30, 2020 | LYNNFIELD | 0 | $1K |
| Jun 30, 2019 | IPSWICH | 0 | $15K |
| Jun 18, 2018 | PIGEON COVE | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 18, 2018 | HAVERHILL | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 23, 2017 | TAPLEYVILLE | 0 | $20K |
Other hazards here
More from Essex County
- Thunderstorm Wind 346
- Hail 98
- Flood 82
- Flash Flood 55
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two women were struck by lightning while walking towards the parking lot from the beach at Crane's Beach in Ipswich. One was a 61 year old woman from Connecticut, the other a 69 year old woman from Massachusetts. Both went into cardiac arrest and were given CPR before being transported to Beverly Hospital and then to Massachusetts General Hospital's burn unit. The 61 year old woman died of her injuries the evening of September 6th. The 69 year old succumbed to her injuries a week later on September 13th.
Lightning struck a three family home on Washington Street, setting fire to the house. Damage was to the front roof in the third floor unit. Residents in the third floor unit were unable to return to their unit due to water damage. Other units were not damaged.
At approximately 8 PM EST in Wakefield, MA a Lakeview Avenue home was struck by lightning. One small area of vinyl siding and some insulation were burned. Quick action by the homeowner, neighbors, and the Fire Department prevented more serious damage.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Essex County, Massachusetts?
49 lightning events are recorded in Essex County between 1997 and 2023, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Essex County?
The strongest lightning on record in Essex County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Essex 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 Essex County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/essex-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.