312
Recorded events
24
Counties affected
11
Direct deaths
$19.7M
Property damage
Maryland lightning history: 312 recorded events across 24 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Maryland lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 175 reported lightning events across Maryland. 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 Maryland
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Montgomery County | 42 | 1 | $9.3M | 1996–2024 |
| #2 | Anne Arundel County | 38 | 2 | $1.4M | 1996–2018 |
| #3 | Frederick County | 23 | 1 | $1.5M | 1996–2021 |
| #4 | Talbot County | 20 | 0 | $1.2M | 1997–2025 |
| #5 | Cecil County | 20 | 0 | $676K | 1996–2013 |
| #6 | Harford County | 19 | 1 | $825K | 1996–2021 |
| #7 | Kent County | 16 | 0 | $36K | 1997–2025 |
| #8 | St. Mary's County | 16 | 0 | $662K | 1996–2008 |
| #9 | Carroll County | 14 | 0 | $380K | 1996–2021 |
| #10 | Baltimore County | 14 | 1 | $1.0M | 1996–2022 |
| #11 | Prince George's County | 13 | 1 | $695K | 1997–2007 |
| #12 | Queen Anne's County | 11 | 0 | $84K | 1999–2025 |
| #13 | Calvert County | 10 | 1 | $255K | 1996–2022 |
| #14 | Caroline County | 8 | 0 | $59K | 1996–2022 |
| #15 | Charles County | 7 | 0 | $80K | 1996–2008 |
| #16 | Howard County | 7 | 0 | $935K | 1996–2023 |
| #17 | Washington County | 6 | 0 | $145K | 1999–2007 |
| #18 | Allegany County | 4 | 0 | $65K | 1999–2002 |
| #19 | Somerset County | 4 | 0 | $11K | 2010–2022 |
| #20 | Worcester County | 4 | 0 | $30K | 2016–2017 |
| #21 | Dorchester County | 4 | 0 | $225K | 2008–2020 |
| #22 | Baltimore city | 4 | 2 | $30K | 1996–2005 |
| #23 | Garrett County | 4 | 0 | $16K | 1996–2024 |
| #24 | Wicomico County | 4 | 1 | $35K | 1998–2016 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Maryland
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 1998 | Wicomico County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 17, 2000 | Anne Arundel County | — | 1 | 8 |
| Jun 19, 1996 | Baltimore city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 25, 2010 | Anne Arundel County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 26, 1998 | Baltimore city | — | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 4, 2022 | Baltimore County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 4, 2000 | Calvert County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 3, 2002 | Frederick County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 2000 | Harford County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 25, 2010 | Montgomery County | — | 1 | 0 |