810
Recorded events
90
Counties affected
41
Direct deaths
$54.8M
Property damage
North Carolina lightning history: 810 recorded events across 90 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
North Carolina lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 320 reported lightning events across North Carolina. 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 North Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mecklenburg County | 46 | 3 | $3.7M | 1997–2017 |
| #2 | New Hanover County | 41 | 5 | $1.1M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Wake County | 41 | 4 | $2.7M | 1998–2023 |
| #4 | Brunswick County | 30 | 1 | $1.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Cleveland County | 25 | 0 | $936K | 1996–2018 |
| #6 | Iredell County | 24 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Catawba County | 21 | 0 | $615K | 1996–2021 |
| #8 | Gaston County | 19 | 0 | $533K | 1996–2014 |
| #9 | Burke County | 19 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Henderson County | 19 | 0 | $535K | 1996–2023 |
| #11 | Union County | 18 | 0 | $1.3M | 1996–2012 |
| #12 | Wilkes County | 18 | 0 | $711K | 1996–2023 |
| #13 | Surry County | 17 | 0 | $861K | 1997–2021 |
| #14 | Columbus County | 16 | 2 | $398K | 1996–2023 |
| #15 | Cumberland County | 16 | 0 | $1.8M | 2000–2015 |
| #16 | Johnston County | 15 | 0 | $393K | 1999–2023 |
| #17 | Jackson County | 15 | 1 | $2.6M | 1997–2011 |
| #18 | Rutherford County | 15 | 0 | $343K | 1997–2017 |
| #19 | Moore County | 14 | 2 | $713K | 2000–2022 |
| #20 | Buncombe County | 14 | 1 | $255K | 1996–2011 |
| #21 | Pender County | 14 | 2 | $187K | 1999–2025 |
| #22 | Macon County | 14 | 0 | $1.8M | 1998–2010 |
| #23 | Rockingham County | 13 | 0 | $2.7M | 1996–2025 |
| #24 | Rowan County | 13 | 0 | $439K | 1999–2012 |
| #25 | Bladen County | 13 | 0 | $136K | 1996–2023 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in North Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2003 | Mecklenburg County | — | 3 | 1 |
| Jul 25, 1999 | Columbus County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 5, 2020 | New Hanover County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jun 11, 2011 | Durham County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 23, 2002 | Moore County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 22, 2003 | Orange County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 1, 1998 | Wayne County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 23, 1998 | Carteret County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 7, 1996 | Franklin County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 8, 2006 | Moore County | — | 1 | 0 |