78
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
39
Direct injuries
$1.8M
Property damage
Lightning in Ocean County, New Jersey: 78 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #10 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Ocean County, New Jersey: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Ocean County is the 2000s, when 36 of the county's 78 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 Ocean County archive, lightning makes up 9.8% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #10 for this hazard and #1 within New Jersey, putting it in the 99.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Ocean County with 26 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 16, 2025 | JACKSON | 0 | 1 | 14 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2021 | SEASIDE PARK | 0 | 1 | 6 | $0 |
| May 3, 1998 | WHITING | 0 | 1 | 5 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2001 | ISLAND BEACH | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | SEASIDE HGTS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2016 | PT PLEASANT BEACH | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2004 | BRICK TOWN | 0 | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| May 6, 1998 | BRICK TOWN | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2025 | JACKSON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2025 | LAKEWOOD ARPT | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 1, 2025 | LAKEWOOD ARPT | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 23, 2024 | SEASIDE HGTS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2021 | SEASIDE PARK | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2020 | (NEL)NAS LAKEHURST | 0 | $300K |
| Mar 7, 2018 | WHITING | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2018 | SHIP BOTTOM | 0 | $1K |
| Mar 7, 2018 | LAKEWOOD | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 14, 2017 | TOMS RIVER | 0 | $10 |
Other hazards here
More from Ocean County
- Thunderstorm Wind 407
- Hail 89
- Flash Flood 74
- Heavy Rain 69
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning strike and subsequent fire engulfed a home on Merion Lane in Jackson Township. The house suffered extensive structural damage and a Honda Pilot was also badly damaged. Seven fire companies battled the blaze. No serious injuries were reported.
Lightning struck two homes in eastern Ocean County, one on Norman Court in Lavallette and the other on Sunrise Boulevard in Toms River Township. Damage was reported as minor. A tree was also knocked down onto wires after a lightning strike on Cedar Crest Drive in Toms River.
A lightning strike in Forked River (Lacey Township) caused a fire that burned and destroyed a shed. Another lightning bolt struck a pole at the intersection of Lakeside Drive and Parker Avenue. Wires dangled downward from it. Between the severe weather and lightning, about 800 homes and businesses lost power in Ocean County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Ocean County, New Jersey?
78 lightning events are recorded in Ocean County between 1997 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Ocean County?
The strongest lightning on record in Ocean County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Ocean 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 Ocean County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/ocean-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.