57
Recorded events
14
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$2.4M
Property damage
Lightning in Lee County, Florida: 57 recorded events between 1996 and 2022. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #26 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Lee County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Lee County is the 1990s, when 25 of the county's 57 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 Lee County archive, lightning makes up 8.7% of all recorded severe weather across 14 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #26 for this hazard and #8 within Florida, putting it in the 98.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Lee 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 18, 2005 | FT MYERS | 0 | 2 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2014 | FT MYERS BEACH | 0 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2021 | SANIBEL | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2017 | FORT MYERS | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| May 13, 2015 | BONITA SPGS | 0 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | COCONUT | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 3, 2012 | PINE MANOR | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2007 | FORT MYERS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2022 | FORT MYERS | 0 | $50K |
| Aug 8, 2022 | WHISKEY CREEK | 0 | $25K |
| Jul 24, 2021 | SANIBEL | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | PUNTA RASSA | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 22, 2017 | SOUTHWEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2017 | FORT MYERS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 2016 | COCONUT | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2015 | BONITA SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2014 | FT MYERS BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 3, 2012 | PINE MANOR | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lee County
- Thunderstorm Wind 229
- Tornado 126
- Hail 122
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 35 year old man was struck by lightning while working on the 6th floor lanai of a building under construction. Witnesses said that this was the only lightning strike seen or heard in the area from the storm. Attempts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful, and he died at the scene.
An 11 year old student was struck by lightning during football practice at around 4:30 pm EDT on the 3rd, right after taking the field. The student died on the afternoon of the 7th after he was removed from life support.
A man was struck by lightning while playing golf. The lightning strike entered in his stomach and exited out his foot. It was not raining at the golf course when the lightning strike occurred, however dark clouds were nearby.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Lee County, Florida?
57 lightning events are recorded in Lee County between 1996 and 2022, causing 14 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Lee County?
The strongest lightning on record in Lee County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Lee 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 Lee County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/lee-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.