551
Recorded events
52
Counties affected
25
Direct deaths
$17.5M
Property damage
Pennsylvania lightning history: 551 recorded events across 52 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Pennsylvania lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 241 reported lightning events across Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bucks County | 65 | 0 | $3.6M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Northampton County | 60 | 1 | $2.5M | 1996–2022 |
| #3 | Berks County | 49 | 1 | $850K | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Montgomery County | 48 | 0 | $2.9M | 1996–2023 |
| #5 | Chester County | 46 | 3 | $2.7M | 1996–2023 |
| #6 | Delaware County | 39 | 1 | $864K | 1997–2017 |
| #7 | Monroe County | 30 | 2 | $233K | 1998–2022 |
| #8 | Lehigh County | 27 | 0 | $1.6M | 2000–2025 |
| #9 | Carbon County | 18 | 1 | $60K | 1997–2021 |
| #10 | Luzerne County | 17 | 2 | $175K | 1997–2025 |
| #11 | Lackawanna County | 15 | 1 | $137K | 1996–2024 |
| #12 | Westmoreland County | 13 | 3 | $113K | 1996–2024 |
| #13 | Bradford County | 12 | 2 | $128K | 1996–2020 |
| #14 | Philadelphia County | 11 | 0 | $117K | 1999–2014 |
| #15 | Allegheny County | 10 | 0 | $122K | 1996–2024 |
| #16 | Washington County | 8 | 0 | $60K | 1996–2011 |
| #17 | Lancaster County | 6 | 2 | $30K | 2000–2025 |
| #18 | Beaver County | 6 | 0 | $53K | 1996–2011 |
| #19 | Susquehanna County | 6 | 0 | $136K | 2008–2021 |
| #20 | York County | 6 | 1 | $47K | 1998–2025 |
| #21 | Venango County | 5 | 0 | $110K | 1997–2023 |
| #22 | Wayne County | 4 | 0 | $11K | 2000–2007 |
| #23 | Cumberland County | 4 | 1 | $15K | 2000–2023 |
| #24 | Cambria County | 4 | 1 | $10K | 1999–2025 |
| #25 | Somerset County | 3 | 1 | $0 | 2006–2012 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Pennsylvania
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2019 | Westmoreland County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 6, 2020 | Bradford County | — | 2 | 2 |
| Jul 16, 2000 | Chester County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 31, 2014 | Lancaster County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 20, 2001 | Westmoreland County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 9, 2005 | Chester County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 18, 1997 | Luzerne County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Chester County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 16, 2021 | Luzerne County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 19, 2007 | York County | — | 1 | 1 |