447
Recorded events
79
Counties affected
20
Direct deaths
$25.7M
Property damage
Illinois lightning history: 447 recorded events across 79 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Illinois lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 194 reported lightning events across Illinois. 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 Illinois
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cook County | 57 | 3 | $6.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Will County | 41 | 2 | $1.5M | 2000–2025 |
| #3 | Lake County | 24 | 1 | $1.9M | 1996–2018 |
| #4 | McHenry County | 23 | 0 | $1.0M | 1996–2024 |
| #5 | DuPage County | 19 | 2 | $1.7M | 2001–2023 |
| #6 | Kane County | 16 | 1 | $1.5M | 1997–2023 |
| #7 | LaSalle County | 15 | 0 | $158K | 1999–2018 |
| #8 | Champaign County | 12 | 0 | $629K | 1997–2013 |
| #9 | Sangamon County | 10 | 0 | $2.1M | 1996–2019 |
| #10 | Winnebago County | 10 | 0 | $541K | 1996–2023 |
| #11 | Peoria County | 9 | 0 | $387K | 2008–2022 |
| #12 | Grundy County | 9 | 0 | $288K | 2000–2013 |
| #13 | Rock Island County | 8 | 2 | $64K | 1996–2010 |
| #14 | St. Clair County | 7 | 1 | $50K | 1996–2019 |
| #15 | Kankakee County | 7 | 0 | $596K | 2000–2013 |
| #16 | Shelby County | 7 | 1 | $103K | 1996–2013 |
| #17 | McLean County | 6 | 0 | $395K | 2008–2020 |
| #18 | Logan County | 6 | 0 | $324K | 2012–2022 |
| #19 | White County | 6 | 0 | $159K | 1996–2011 |
| #20 | Macoupin County | 6 | 2 | $100K | 2001–2005 |
| #21 | Massac County | 6 | 0 | $135K | 2007–2025 |
| #22 | Woodford County | 6 | 0 | $399K | 2008–2024 |
| #23 | Bureau County | 5 | 0 | $86K | 1999–2022 |
| #24 | Stephenson County | 5 | 0 | $65K | 1999–2018 |
| #25 | Henry County | 5 | 0 | $85K | 1996–2010 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Illinois
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10, 1999 | Rock Island County | — | 2 | 0 |
| May 10, 1996 | Cook County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 28, 2010 | Livingston County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 28, 2016 | Will County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 17, 1996 | Cook County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 10, 2001 | Macoupin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 3, 2018 | Will County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 22, 2001 | Cook County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 6, 2001 | Macoupin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 27, 2005 | DuPage County | — | 1 | 1 |