41
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$1.1M
Property damage
Lightning in New Hanover County, North Carolina: 41 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #70 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in New Hanover County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in New Hanover County is the 2010s, when 18 of the county's 41 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 New Hanover County archive, lightning makes up 6.8% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #70 for this hazard and #2 within North Carolina, putting it in the 97.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in New Hanover County with 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2020 | WILMINGTON | 0 | 2 | 0 | $2K |
| Sep 25, 2009 | WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2022 | MASONBORO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2012 | CASTLE HAYNE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2005 | CAROLINA BEACH | 0 | 0 | 7 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2002 | CAROLINA BEACH | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2016 | HARBOR IS | 0 | 0 | 1 | $1K |
| Dec 24, 2015 | MYRTLE GROVE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2025 | MYRTLE GROVE | 0 | $5K |
| Mar 17, 2025 | SOUTH WILMINGTON | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 11, 2024 | (ILM)WILMINGTON ARPT | 0 | $10K |
| Mar 26, 2023 | BAYMEADE | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 3, 2022 | MASONBORO | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2020 | WILMINGTON | 0 | $2K |
| Jul 12, 2018 | WILMINGTON | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 15, 2016 | HARBOR IS | 0 | $1K |
| Dec 24, 2015 | MYRTLE GROVE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 2015 | BAYMEADE | 0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from New Hanover County
- Thunderstorm Wind 175
- Flash Flood 113
- Hail 112
- Flood 62
- 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 stuck a home on Avenshire Circle, setting it ablaze. A fire captain estimated the damage at $100,000. Lightning also struck a shed behind a private home on Meares Street, causing approximately $6000 in fire damage.
Lightning struck the beach at Bald Head Island, injuring nine people. Seven were treated at the local hospital for tingling feelings. One boy was in cardiac arrest when rescue units arrived and was revived at the scene. Another boy was knocked unconcious and was also revived at the scene. All the victims were out of the water and on the sand at the time of the strike.
EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WERE CALLED TO GREENLAWN/OLEANDER MEMORIAL GARDENS WHERE A MAN WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. HE WAS TAKEN TO NEW HANOVER REG. MED. CENTER WHERE HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED. AT LEAST THREE HOUSEFIRES WERE BLAMED ON LIGHTNING IN BRUINSWICK COUNTY DURING THIS EPISODE.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in New Hanover County, North Carolina?
41 lightning events are recorded in New Hanover County between 1996 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in New Hanover County?
The strongest lightning on record in New Hanover County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for New Hanover 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 New Hanover County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/new-hanover-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.