49
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$1.0M
Property damage
Lightning in Morris County, New Jersey: 49 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #42 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Morris County, New Jersey: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Morris County is the 2000s, when 28 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 Morris County archive, lightning makes up 7.5% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #42 for this hazard and #4 within New Jersey, putting it in the 98.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Morris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2007 | MT ARLINGTON | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 17, 2025 | FLORHAM PARK | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2019 | CHATHAM | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2008 | LAKE TELEMARK | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2025 | FLORHAM PARK | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2022 | MT TABOR | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 4, 2020 | GREEN POND | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 3, 2020 | MORRISTOWN | 0 | $30K |
| Dec 30, 2019 | BUTLER | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2019 | CHATHAM | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | HANOVER | 0 | $10 |
| Jul 15, 2014 | STIRLING | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 22, 2013 | SCHOOLEYS MTN | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 22, 2013 | SCHOOLEYS MTN | 0 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Morris County
- Thunderstorm Wind 349
- Hail 72
- Flash Flood 63
- Flood 59
- Heavy Rain 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning struck a home on Pleasant Avenue in Hanover Township. The ensuing fire was contained to the attic, but both the first and second floors of the home sustained smoke and water damage. The fire made the home uninhabitable. No injuries were reported.
A lightning strike to the attic of a home on Birch Street in Boonton sparked a fire. It was brought under control in about fifteen minutes, but the home sustained water and electrical damage. Two firefighters were injured battling the blaze. The family was temporarily relocated.
Lightning struck a pine tree in the front yard of a Katherine Drive home in Rockaway Township and caused it to explode about 4 a.m. EDT. The tree shrapnel impaled a nearby home's roof and damaged the back window of a car. The cable connection within the home was fried by the lightning strike. All power was restored that afternoon.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Morris County, New Jersey?
49 lightning events are recorded in Morris County between 1996 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Morris County?
The strongest lightning on record in Morris County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Morris 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 Morris County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/morris-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.