488
Recorded events
82
Counties affected
19
Direct deaths
$36.8M
Property damage
Tennessee lightning history: 488 recorded events across 82 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Tennessee lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 198 reported lightning events across Tennessee. 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 Tennessee
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Davidson County | 47 | 0 | $2.7M | 1997–2025 |
| #2 | Wilson County | 34 | 0 | $2.6M | 1999–2025 |
| #3 | Williamson County | 31 | 0 | $2.9M | 1998–2024 |
| #4 | Shelby County | 27 | 1 | $1.7M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Rutherford County | 18 | 1 | $1.2M | 1996–2024 |
| #6 | Maury County | 15 | 0 | $407K | 2002–2020 |
| #7 | Lawrence County | 15 | 0 | $890K | 2000–2025 |
| #8 | Putnam County | 14 | 0 | $6.5M | 1997–2025 |
| #9 | Cumberland County | 12 | 0 | $217K | 2002–2024 |
| #10 | Henry County | 11 | 0 | $266K | 1996–2025 |
| #11 | Fentress County | 11 | 2 | $333K | 2002–2017 |
| #12 | Sumner County | 11 | 0 | $619K | 1997–2018 |
| #13 | Franklin County | 10 | 0 | $147K | 1996–2012 |
| #14 | Madison County | 9 | 1 | $391K | 1998–2012 |
| #15 | Overton County | 9 | 2 | $805K | 1998–2019 |
| #16 | Weakley County | 8 | 2 | $76K | 1996–2018 |
| #17 | Hamilton County | 8 | 0 | $1.9M | 1996–2025 |
| #18 | Coffee County | 8 | 0 | $582K | 1996–2009 |
| #19 | Gibson County | 8 | 2 | $667K | 2002–2021 |
| #20 | Lincoln County | 8 | 0 | $520K | 2006–2019 |
| #21 | Montgomery County | 7 | 0 | $760K | 2002–2022 |
| #22 | Giles County | 7 | 0 | $482K | 1998–2017 |
| #23 | Macon County | 7 | 0 | $316K | 1996–2012 |
| #24 | Marshall County | 7 | 0 | $259K | 1999–2017 |
| #25 | Robertson County | 6 | 0 | $66K | 2001–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Tennessee
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2002 | Gibson County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 13, 2005 | Fentress County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 12, 2004 | Shelby County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 2016 | Stewart County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 13, 1996 | Blount County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 29, 2006 | Madison County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 10, 2006 | Weakley County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 26, 1999 | Bradley County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 11, 1998 | Overton County | — | 1 | 2 |
| May 28, 2018 | Weakley County | — | 1 | 0 |