48
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
Lightning in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: 48 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #47 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Montgomery County is the 2000s, when 21 of the county's 48 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 Montgomery County archive, lightning makes up 4.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #47 for this hazard and #4 within Pennsylvania, putting it in the 98.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for lightning in Montgomery County with 13 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 27, 2008 | MONTGOMERYVILLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 1998 | AMBLER | 0 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jun 12, 1996 | MONTGOMERYVILLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2023 | GREEN LANE | 0 | $10K |
| Apr 1, 2023 | BETZWOOD | 0 | $1K |
| Aug 2, 2017 | ABRAMS | 0 | $10 |
| Aug 2, 2017 | FLOURTOWN | 0 | $10 |
| Mar 28, 2017 | ARDMORE | 0 | $500 |
| Jul 15, 2015 | POTTSTOWN | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 23, 2015 | AUDUBON | 0 | $5K |
| Sep 6, 2014 | CRESTMONT | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 19, 2011 | FLOURTOWN | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 25, 2010 | POTTSTOWN | 0 | $100K |
Other hazards here
More from Montgomery County
- Thunderstorm Wind 623
- Flash Flood 192
- Hail 132
- Flood 67
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning strike caused a fire at a Bed, Bath and Beyond store in Upper Merion Township. Lightning struck the roof and made a hole the size of a penny. It penetrated the right front area of the store's displays. The lightning set stacks of towels and other merchandise on fire. The store was evacuated. Eight fire companies battled the blaze and it was contained in a small area of the store. It was declared under control at 7 p.m. EDT. No injuries were reported.
A lightning strike and a subsequent fire damaged several trailers in Shaner's Trailer Park on East Main Street in Lower Pottsgrove Township. Lightning was believed to hit either a water or electrical line and then started a fire under one trailer. One woman was injured and hospitalized. Two other trailers were also damaged by the fire. The lightning strike also shorted the phone and cable lines. Two families were displaced.
Lightning struck the peak of a roof of a home on North Limerick Road in Limerick Township and caught fire. Four fire companies assisted and fought the blaze and confined the fire to one bedroom and attic on one side of the house. The lightning strike also fried the electrical system and meter in the house.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania?
48 lightning events are recorded in Montgomery County between 1996 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Montgomery County?
The strongest lightning on record in Montgomery County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/montgomery-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.