54
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$1.7M
Property damage
Lightning in St. Johns County, Florida: 54 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #31 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in St. Johns County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in St. Johns County is the 2000s, when 22 of the county's 54 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 St. Johns County archive, lightning makes up 6.9% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #31 for this hazard and #9 within Florida, putting it in the 98.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in St. Johns County with 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2004 | HASTINGS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 16, 2000 | ANASTASIA | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 1999 | SWITZERLAND | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2025 | ST AUGUSTINE BEACH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2023 | FRUIT COVE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2022 | HILDEN | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 17, 2016 | CRESCENT BEACH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Oct 1, 2012 | VILANO BEACH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2025 | SWITZERLAND | 0 | $2K |
| Jul 12, 2025 | ST AUGUSTINE BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2025 | ELWOOD | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 22, 2023 | FRUIT COVE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2022 | HILDEN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2022 | SAMPSON CHURCH | 0 | $2K |
| Jul 3, 2022 | USINAS BEACH | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 1, 2022 | PONTE VEDRA | 0 | $15K |
| Jun 16, 2021 | SAMPSON | 0 | $30K |
| Jun 15, 2018 | SAMPSON | 0 | $100 |
Other hazards here
More from St. Johns County
- Thunderstorm Wind 334
- Hail 119
- Heavy Rain 91
- Tornado 66
- Funnel Cloud 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning caused a house fire in the St. Johns Forest subdivision. Lighting struck the chimney on Flores Way, and the fire caused a total loss of the home. Electronics and appliances of two nearby homes were also damaged. The cost of damage was estimated, but unknown.
A lightning fire caused damage at the Legends Condo complex in the World Golf Village. A portion of the roof had severe fire damage. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion in Storm Data. It is likely a gross underestimate of damage.
Lightning likely caused a house to catch on | fire near Willow Island Point and Canopy | Forest Dr. The house was engulfed in flames. | Crews searched the property and determined | that all occupants had safely evacuated | before firefighters arrived.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in St. Johns County, Florida?
54 lightning events are recorded in St. Johns County between 1999 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in St. Johns County?
The strongest lightning on record in St. Johns County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for St. Johns 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 St. Johns County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/st-johns-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.