56
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
Lightning in Norfolk County, Massachusetts: 56 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #29 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Norfolk County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Norfolk County is the 2000s, when 26 of the county's 56 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 Norfolk County archive, lightning makes up 10.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #29 for this hazard and #3 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 98.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Norfolk County with 25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1996 | NORFOLK | 0 | 0 | 7 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2010 | MILTON | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2020 | MIDLAND | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2012 | FOXBOROUGH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 2010 | WRENTHAM | 0 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2023 | WELLESLEY FELLS | 0 | $100 |
| Jun 2, 2023 | SOUTH BELLINGHAM | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 2, 2023 | MEDWAY | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 28, 2020 | WEST MEDWAY | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 1, 2020 | MIDLAND | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2018 | NORTH WEYMOUTH | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 6, 2018 | HOLBROOK | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 6, 2018 | FOXVALE | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 28, 2017 | PONKAPOG | 0 | $1K |
| Jun 9, 2017 | SOUTH BELLINGHAM | 0 | $7K |
Other hazards here
More from Norfolk County
- Thunderstorm Wind 250
- Flood 86
- Hail 82
- Flash Flood 51
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning struck an eight unit condominium building setting fire to the attic. The fire engulfed the entire building, destroying the condos. One firefighter suffered from heat exhaustion while trying to extinguish the fire.
Lightning struck the roof of a condo at Knollsbrook Condominiums. The resultant fire spread to two other units. Three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration while fighting the fire. One was transported to the hospital. These injuries were indirectly related to the lightning strike.
Lightning struck a house at the intersection of Mechanic and Hope Streets. It struck a tree which imploded sending pieces of wood onto the deck. The lightning then traveled through the yard, creating a 25 foot trench leading to a house and destroying the wooden stairs on the deck and blowing gutters off the house. A 74 year old woman who lives in the house was taken to the hospital with chest pains.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
56 lightning events are recorded in Norfolk County between 1996 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Norfolk County?
The strongest lightning on record in Norfolk County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/norfolk-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.