500
Recorded events
14
Counties affected
8
Direct deaths
$26.2M
Property damage
Massachusetts lightning history: 500 recorded events across 14 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Massachusetts lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 211 reported lightning events across Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Worcester County | 75 | 0 | $3.0M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Middlesex County | 63 | 1 | $2.9M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Norfolk County | 56 | 0 | $3.7M | 1996–2023 |
| #4 | Essex County | 49 | 3 | $1.2M | 1997–2023 |
| #5 | Plymouth County | 45 | 1 | $1.5M | 1996–2024 |
| #6 | Hampshire County | 44 | 0 | $1.8M | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Bristol County | 40 | 0 | $411K | 1997–2025 |
| #8 | Barnstable County | 32 | 1 | $2.8M | 1999–2024 |
| #9 | Hampden County | 31 | 0 | $558K | 1996–2023 |
| #10 | Franklin County | 25 | 0 | $842K | 1997–2026 |
| #11 | Suffolk County | 19 | 2 | $7.2M | 1997–2023 |
| #12 | Berkshire County | 16 | 0 | $250K | 1997–2024 |
| #13 | Nantucket County | 3 | 0 | $12K | 2016–2023 |
| #14 | Dukes County | 2 | 0 | $16K | 2017–2017 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Massachusetts
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2014 | Essex County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 1, 2009 | Barnstable County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2008 | Essex County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 27, 2000 | Middlesex County | — | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 8, 2010 | Plymouth County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 10, 2001 | Suffolk County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 5, 2010 | Suffolk County | — | 1 | 0 |