355
Recorded events
42
Counties affected
16
Direct deaths
$8.1M
Property damage
California lightning history: 355 recorded events across 42 counties between 1996 and 2024.
Decade by decade
California lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 162 reported lightning events across California. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in California
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | San Bernardino County | 63 | 3 | $1.4M | 1996–2024 |
| #2 | San Diego County | 43 | 1 | $183K | 1997–2023 |
| #3 | Kern County | 41 | 1 | $355K | 1997–2022 |
| #4 | Fresno County | 37 | 1 | $2.8M | 1997–2024 |
| #5 | Riverside County | 35 | 1 | $251K | 1996–2024 |
| #6 | Tulare County | 25 | 2 | $42K | 1996–2017 |
| #7 | Los Angeles County | 10 | 3 | $0 | 1996–2022 |
| #8 | Kings County | 10 | 0 | $51K | 2002–2017 |
| #9 | Mariposa County | 9 | 0 | $150K | 1998–2023 |
| #10 | Merced County | 9 | 0 | $1.0M | 1998–2016 |
| #11 | Madera County | 7 | 0 | $5K | 1999–2014 |
| #12 | San Francisco County | 7 | 0 | $120K | 2009–2018 |
| #13 | Santa Clara County | 5 | 0 | $0 | 2018–2020 |
| #14 | San Mateo County | 4 | 0 | $0 | 2017–2020 |
| #15 | Orange County | 4 | 0 | $62K | 1998–2016 |
| #16 | Butte County | 4 | 0 | $136K | 2007–2019 |
| #17 | Nevada County | 3 | 1 | $15K | 1999–2012 |
| #18 | Sonoma County | 3 | 0 | $1.0M | 2001–2020 |
| #19 | Monterey County | 3 | 0 | $2K | 2020–2023 |
| #20 | Stanislaus County | 3 | 0 | $220K | 1999–2018 |
| #21 | Siskiyou County | 2 | 0 | $0 | 2003–2018 |
| #22 | Marin County | 2 | 0 | $30K | 2009–2019 |
| #23 | Mono County | 2 | 0 | $0 | 2004–2019 |
| #24 | Tuolumne County | 2 | 1 | $0 | 1999–2013 |
| #25 | Alameda County | 2 | 0 | $3K | 2011–2020 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in California
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2005 | Tulare County | — | 2 | 7 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | Los Angeles County | — | 1 | 8 |
| Sep 2, 2001 | San Diego County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2022 | Los Angeles County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 26, 2020 | Sierra County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 23, 2012 | Nevada County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2009 | Plumas County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 1, 2013 | Tuolumne County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2003 | Riverside County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2021 | Fresno County | — | 1 | 0 |