46
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
Lightning in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: 46 recorded events between 1997 and 2017. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #51 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Mecklenburg County is the 2000s, when 27 of the county's 46 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 Mecklenburg County archive, lightning makes up 5.2% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #51 for this hazard and #1 within North Carolina, putting it in the 97.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Mecklenburg County with 23 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 29, 2003 | MATTHEWS | 0 | 3 | 1 | $30K |
| Sep 10, 2015 | YORKMONT PARK | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2017 | THOMASBORO | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2015 | HUNTERSVILLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jun 25, 2014 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2006 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2003 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2003 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2017 | THOMASBORO | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2015 | YORKMONT PARK | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2015 | HUNTERSVILLE | 0 | $30K |
| Jun 25, 2014 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2012 | GRIFFITH | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 1, 2012 | CROFT | 0 | $25K |
| May 23, 2012 | GRIFFITH | 0 | $50K |
| Mar 21, 2012 | SMITHVILLE | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 8, 2011 | PINEVILLE | 0 | $150K |
| Jun 22, 2011 | PINEVILLE | 0 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from Mecklenburg County
- Thunderstorm Wind 429
- Hail 246
- Flash Flood 99
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
46 lightning events are recorded in Mecklenburg County between 1997 and 2017, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Mecklenburg County?
The strongest lightning on record in Mecklenburg County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.