45
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$675K
Property damage
Lightning in Middlesex County, New Jersey: 45 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #58 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Middlesex County, New Jersey: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Middlesex County is the 2000s, when 28 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 Middlesex County archive, lightning makes up 7.4% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #58 for this hazard and #6 within New Jersey, putting it in the 97.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for lightning in Middlesex County with 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2011 | PLAINSBORO | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2023 | MENLO PARK | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 17, 2007 | EDISON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2002 | NEW BRUNSWICK | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 2024 | MIDDLESEX | 0 | $10K |
| Jun 14, 2023 | MENLO PARK | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2017 | HIGHLAND PARK | 0 | $10 |
| Aug 22, 2013 | GILLESPIE | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 22, 2013 | MILLTOWN | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 9, 2012 | EDISON | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 18, 2012 | GILLESPIE | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 6, 2011 | MILLTOWN ZIGFIELD AR | 0 | $250 |
| Jul 3, 2011 | MENLO PARK | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 3, 2011 | EAST BRUNSWICK | 0 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Middlesex County
- Thunderstorm Wind 273
- Flash Flood 120
- Hail 62
- Heavy Rain 61
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning strike and the ensuing fire destroyed a vacant one story barn at the intersection of Friendship and New Roads in South Brunswick Township. It took about thirty firefighters forty-five minutes to extinguish the blaze.
A lightning strike sparked a fire in the front part of a home on Barberry Court in Woodbridge Township. The front of the home was damaged before fire fighters could extinguish the blaze. In addition siding was removed to help find and battle the fire.|
For the second time in one month, the Middlesex Borough Hall was struck by lightning. The first lightning strike on July 11th knocked out communications with other townships for less than an hour. The lightning strike on the 23rd caused phone and internet service to be not available through the afternoon of the 24th.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Middlesex County, New Jersey?
45 lightning events are recorded in Middlesex County between 1996 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Middlesex County?
The strongest lightning on record in Middlesex County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Middlesex 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 Middlesex County, New Jersey.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-jersey/middlesex-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.