535
Recorded events
103
Counties affected
16
Direct deaths
$16.2M
Property damage
Virginia lightning history: 535 recorded events across 103 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Virginia lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 192 reported lightning events across Virginia. 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 Virginia
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Campbell County | 22 | 1 | $425K | 1996–2024 |
| #2 | Bedford County | 22 | 1 | $496K | 1997–2025 |
| #3 | Franklin County | 21 | 0 | $606K | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Halifax County | 17 | 0 | $199K | 1996–2023 |
| #5 | Loudoun County | 17 | 0 | $986K | 1996–2022 |
| #6 | Pittsylvania County | 17 | 0 | $177K | 1996–2024 |
| #7 | Henry County | 16 | 1 | $1.0M | 1997–2022 |
| #8 | Fairfax County | 15 | 0 | $2.4M | 1997–2008 |
| #9 | Virginia Beach city | 14 | 3 | $369K | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Chesterfield County | 13 | 0 | $220K | 1996–2025 |
| #11 | Frederick County | 12 | 0 | $279K | 1996–2008 |
| #12 | Rockingham County | 12 | 1 | $482K | 1996–2003 |
| #13 | Henrico County | 12 | 0 | $749K | 1996–2025 |
| #14 | Lynchburg city | 11 | 0 | $316K | 1997–2025 |
| #15 | Albemarle County | 10 | 0 | $24K | 1998–2021 |
| #16 | Montgomery County | 10 | 0 | $502K | 1998–2023 |
| #17 | Carroll County | 9 | 0 | $286K | 1996–2025 |
| #18 | Prince William County | 8 | 0 | $121K | 1996–2019 |
| #19 | Buckingham County | 8 | 0 | $81K | 2007–2025 |
| #20 | Spotsylvania County | 8 | 0 | $121K | 1996–2003 |
| #21 | James City County | 8 | 1 | $119K | 2000–2014 |
| #22 | Chesapeake city | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 1997–2021 |
| #23 | Roanoke County | 7 | 0 | $103K | 1996–2025 |
| #24 | Fauquier County | 7 | 2 | $56K | 1996–2004 |
| #25 | Nelson County | 7 | 0 | $337K | 1999–2002 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Virginia
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2001 | Fauquier County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 11, 2001 | Norfolk city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 4, 1999 | Culpeper County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2000 | Virginia Beach city | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 1, 2004 | Virginia Beach city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 16, 1997 | Henry County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 6, 2008 | Virginia Beach city | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 31, 2003 | James City County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 6, 2023 | Louisa County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 14, 2019 | Bath County | — | 1 | 1 |