43
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$183K
Property damage
Lightning in San Diego County, California: 43 recorded events between 1997 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #61 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in San Diego County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in San Diego County is the 2010s, when 17 of the county's 43 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 San Diego County archive, lightning makes up 3.8% of all recorded severe weather across 16 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #61 for this hazard and #2 within California, putting it in the 97.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Sep is the peak month for lightning in San Diego County with 10 recorded events, while Feb 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 2, 2001 | JULIAN | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 7, 2000 | OCEANSIDE | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 2009 | JESMOND DENE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Oct 25, 2016 | LA MESA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2023 | SAN LUIS REY | 0 | $1K |
| Nov 15, 2023 | LAKESIDE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2022 | BORREGO SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2022 | POWAY | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 5, 2021 | BOSTONIA | 0 | $30K |
| Oct 5, 2021 | LA JOLLA | 0 | $20K |
| Sep 10, 2021 | LA JOLLA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 30, 2021 | WARNER SPGS | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 29, 2021 | CARDIFF BY THE SEA | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 18, 2021 | BUENA | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from San Diego County
- Flash Flood 256
- Flood 238
- Heavy Rain 140
- Thunderstorm Wind 118
- Wildfire 105
- Funnel Cloud 58
- Hail 52
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A band of convection formed along the leading edge of moisture from former Hurricane Paine as it moved northward. Numerous lightning strikes occurred in San Diego County setting palm trees on fire and causing power outages to 4000 customers.
CHP reported several small fires started by lightning strikes. Vista: lightning struck the hillside and started a fire. Lightning started a fire at Poway Road near Community Road. Lightning also struck a hillside which started a fire near Bancroft Drive and Campo Road in La Mesa. CHP reported a power line and pole down across the roadway at Dye Road and Ramona Street due to lightning.
Lightning snapped a large tree about two thirds of the way down near the base. Photo received via Facebook of a tree near intersection of Douglas Dr and River Rd. This occurred during a line of storms moving through Oceanside around 11:30pm.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in San Diego County, California?
43 lightning events are recorded in San Diego County between 1997 and 2023, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in San Diego County?
The strongest lightning on record in San Diego County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for San Diego 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 San Diego County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-diego-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.