Storm hazard · NOAA Storm Events Database
Marine Lightning in the United States
National statistics for marine lightning events from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025): how often they occur, where they hit hardest, and the human and property toll.
- 1
- Events recorded
- 1
- Fatalities
- $0
- Property damage
- 1
- States affected
How dangerous are Marine Lightning events in the U.S.?
NOAA's Storm Events Database has catalogued 1 marine lightning events across 1 states and territories between 2015 and 2025. The cumulative human toll is 1 fatalities and 0 injuries, and the financial footprint reaches $0 in combined property ($0) and crop ($0) damage. On a per-fatality basis this places marine lightning events at a low severity tier relative to other tracked hazard types in the NOAA catalog.
Where this hazard actually strikes varies sharply by region. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are GU (1 events, 1 fatalities), a pattern driven more by climatology than by any one state's vulnerability.
The annual record is uneven rather than steadily rising or falling. Across the full 1-year window, annual event counts reflect natural year-to-year noise given how infrequently this hazard is recorded at all.
How to interpret this data
NOAA storm event data is filed by local National Weather Service forecast offices, so reporting intensity can vary by jurisdiction and should be interpreted alongside FEMA disaster declarations for a fuller picture.
For household and business preparedness, this state-and-year view should be paired with local-level FEMA National Risk Index ratings, flood-zone maps where applicable, and up-to-date NWS watch/warning information, population exposure and asset value matter as much as raw event frequency for estimating real-world risk.
Marine Lightning by State
| # | State | Events | Fatalities | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guam GU | 1 | 1 | $0 |
Marine Lightning by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many marine lightning events have occurred in the US?
Which states are most affected by marine lightning events?
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Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.