59
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$5.8M
Property damage
Lightning in Waukesha County, Wisconsin: 59 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #25 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Waukesha County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Waukesha County is the 1990s, when 27 of the county's 59 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 Waukesha County archive, lightning makes up 7.5% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #25 for this hazard and #1 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 99.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for lightning in Waukesha County with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | WAUKESHA CO ARPT | — | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2013 | EAGLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2006 | MUSKEGO | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2006 | WAUKESHA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 1997 | SUSSEX | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Oct 7, 1996 | CHENEQUA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jul 15, 1996 | SUSSEX | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | WAUKESHA CO ARPT | — | $0 |
| Sep 13, 2019 | DOWNTOWN WAUKESHA | 0 | $2.5M |
| Jun 18, 2018 | HALES CORNERS | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 10, 2016 | OCONOMOWOC | 0 | $100K |
| Mar 16, 2016 | HARTLAND | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 21, 2013 | EAGLE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 9, 2013 | NEW BERLIN | 0 | $5K |
| Apr 9, 2013 | MERTON | 0 | $20K |
| Sep 25, 2011 | DOWNTOWN WAUKESHA | 0 | $2K |
| Jul 11, 2011 | HARTLAND | 0 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Waukesha County
- Thunderstorm Wind 349
- Hail 260
- Tornado 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Approximately 100 people were displaced when an apartment building was struck by lightning causing a fire. The 42 unit apartment building was a total loss. One resident was rescued from the third floor and one fireman was injured. Two residents were also injured.
Lightning struck a house in Brookfield causing a fire in the attic. The lightning strike blew holes in the chimney and the roof of the house. Residents in the home at the time of the strike had escaped by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.
A lightning bolt struck a tree and air conditioning unit of a home in New Berlin. The current was carried into the basement of the home and the resultant fire was contained mostly in the basement. Electrical wiring was damaged. Smoke damage was noted elsewhere in the home.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Waukesha County, Wisconsin?
59 lightning events are recorded in Waukesha County between 1996 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Waukesha County?
The strongest lightning on record in Waukesha County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Waukesha 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 Waukesha County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/waukesha-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.