388
Recorded events
76
Counties affected
20
Direct deaths
$21.2M
Property damage
Mississippi lightning history: 388 recorded events across 76 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Mississippi lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 149 reported lightning events across Mississippi. 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 Mississippi
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Forrest County | 26 | 2 | $1.2M | 1996–2021 |
| #2 | Rankin County | 24 | 1 | $2.6M | 2001–2025 |
| #3 | Jones County | 20 | 0 | $885K | 2008–2024 |
| #4 | Harrison County | 19 | 2 | $411K | 1996–2024 |
| #5 | Jackson County | 18 | 1 | $234K | 1996–2013 |
| #6 | Madison County | 14 | 0 | $3.1M | 2005–2022 |
| #7 | Lamar County | 13 | 1 | $293K | 1997–2025 |
| #8 | Hinds County | 12 | 1 | $860K | 1997–2025 |
| #9 | Lowndes County | 12 | 1 | $951K | 2005–2026 |
| #10 | Lafayette County | 11 | 0 | $680K | 1997–2025 |
| #11 | Hancock County | 9 | 2 | $381K | 1996–2024 |
| #12 | Clarke County | 8 | 1 | $337K | 2014–2024 |
| #13 | Lincoln County | 8 | 0 | $225K | 1997–2010 |
| #14 | Warren County | 8 | 0 | $470K | 2001–2025 |
| #15 | DeSoto County | 8 | 0 | $762K | 2001–2019 |
| #16 | Lee County | 7 | 0 | $211K | 1996–2019 |
| #17 | Neshoba County | 7 | 0 | $113K | 2006–2023 |
| #18 | Yazoo County | 7 | 2 | $500K | 2005–2025 |
| #19 | Alcorn County | 7 | 0 | $95K | 1997–2023 |
| #20 | Tishomingo County | 7 | 0 | $275K | 1997–2008 |
| #21 | Stone County | 6 | 0 | $75K | 2002–2021 |
| #22 | Pearl River County | 6 | 0 | $90K | 1996–2004 |
| #23 | Oktibbeha County | 5 | 0 | $245K | 2005–2021 |
| #24 | Marion County | 5 | 0 | $342K | 2001–2017 |
| #25 | Pike County | 5 | 1 | $7K | 1997–2006 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Mississippi
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1998 | Hancock County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 15, 2006 | Lowndes County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 15, 2005 | Hancock County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 25, 2002 | Panola County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 25, 1999 | Harrison County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 26, 2006 | Pike County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 2001 | Harrison County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 22, 2025 | Rankin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 11, 2014 | Clarke County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 18, 2004 | Hinds County | — | 1 | 0 |