45
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$1.5M
Property damage
Lightning in Plymouth County, Massachusetts: 45 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #58 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Plymouth County, Massachusetts: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Plymouth County is the 2010s, when 21 of the county's 45 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 Plymouth County archive, lightning makes up 10.3% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #58 for this hazard and #5 within Massachusetts, putting it in the 97.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Plymouth County with 20 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 8, 2010 | PLYMOUTH | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2005 | ROCKLAND | 0 | 0 | 15 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2011 | EAST CARVER | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2011 | PINEHURST BEACH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 8, 2010 | HANOVER | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 12, 2009 | WHITE IS SHRS | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2008 | HINGHAM | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2008 | SCITUATE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | NORTHWEST DUXBURY | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 9, 2022 | POINT INDEPENDENCE | 0 | $8K |
| Jul 3, 2022 | DUXBURY | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 2, 2022 | EGYPT | 0 | $4K |
| Jul 3, 2021 | BROCKTON HGTS | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 23, 2019 | POINT INDEPENDENCE | 0 | $500 |
| Sep 6, 2017 | HANOVER | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 12, 2017 | COLE CORNER | 0 | $500 |
| Apr 28, 2017 | MARION | 0 | $3K |
| Apr 6, 2017 | PLYMOUTH | 0 | $2K |
Other hazards here
More from Plymouth County
- Thunderstorm Wind 194
- Hail 82
- Flood 54
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A house on Monponsett Street was struck by lightning, causing a fire in the attic. This fire was contained, but caused extensive damage. A second house on Ocean Avenue was struck by lightning, resulting in a fire that fully engulfed the house in flames. This house was a total loss.
A 67 year old man was indirectly struck by lightning at Cape Cod Shipbuilding on Narrows Road. The lightning traveled through the ground to the man. He was conscious and alert when taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
A woman in her 30s was taken to the hospital after she was reportedly struck by lightning. Emergency officials indicated the woman did not appear to be seriously injured, and suspected the lightning struck in the immediate vicinity but did not directly strike the woman.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
45 lightning events are recorded in Plymouth County between 1996 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Plymouth County?
The strongest lightning on record in Plymouth County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Plymouth 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 Plymouth County, Massachusetts.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/massachusetts/plymouth-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.