California lightning
Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 42 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 355 lightning records in California from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 12 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 28, 2005 lightning in Tulare County: 2 deaths and 7 injuries. California ranks 22nd of 52 states and territories by count and 39th of 51 per square mile.
Lightning in California, 1996 to 2026
Lightning records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 3551996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 12average
- Deaths
- 1683 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $13Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 200541 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are lightning records common in California?
California averages about 12 lightning records a year since 2000, 22nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2005 (41). Per 10,000 square miles of land, California records 23 lightning records since 1996, 39th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in California have the most lightning records?
Per square mile, San Diego County leads California: 38 days with a lightning record since 1996, 9.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, San Bernardino County has the most lightning records (63 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the lightning season in California?
California's lightning records by month. The busiest month is September (68 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 15 · Feb 11 · Mar 29 · Apr 21 · May 24 · Jun 24 · Jul 61 · Aug 61 · Sep 68 · Oct 27 · Nov 7 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest lightning records in California?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-07-28 | LightningMineral King, Tulare County Lightning struck a group of camping Boy Scouts at the 10,700 foot elevation of Sandy Meadow 4 miles west of Mt. Whitney on the John Muir Trail on the 28th. There were 9 individuals struck in a tent that had been erected as shelter from the thunderstorm with one immediate fatality and another critically injured that ... | 2 | 7 | – | |
| 2001-09-02 | LightningJulian, San Diego County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places, 2001-09-02 to 2001-09-03; the totals are the episode's. Part of the remnants of Hurricane Flossie, moved across Southwest California over a three day period.On 09/01/01, thunderstorms formed over the mountains and deserts of San Diego and Riverside Counties. Many reported small hail ranging in diameter from a quarter inch to a half inch. On 9/2/01, thunderstorms formed ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2014-07-27 | LightningMarina Del Ray, Los Angeles County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A surge of monsoonal moisture from northern Mexico generated scattered thunderstorms across Southern California. From these storms, two significant lightning strikes occurred. In Venice Beach, one man was killed and 13 people were injured when lightning struck the water. The other lightning strike occurred on Catalina ... | 1 | 9 | – | |
| 2009-06-03 | LightningFontana, San Bernardino County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Unstable air ahead of an upper-level low centered just off the coast of Northern California triggered bands of elevated convection which stretched from San Diego to the San Bernardino County deserts. Over 1500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were recorded during the event, resulting in one death and multiple ... | 1 | 8 | $1K | |
| 2020-07-25 | LightningSierraville Drwtr Ar, Sierra County A 47-year-old Nevada man died after being struck by lightning while on a jet ski at Stampede Reservoir in Sierra County on Saturday 25 July. His body went underwater near the boat ramp and divers later found his body 20 yards from the shoreline. The lightning also struck the man's son, who was knocked unconscious and ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2004-09-10 | LightningLenwood, San Bernardino County A tow truck driver was in the process of hooking up a winch to a stalled vehicle when lightning struck. The driver of the stalled car was killed and the tow truck driver was taken to the hospital. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2015-07-18 | LightningGreenfield, Kern County Autospy confirmed Bakersfield man was struck and killed by lightning. The individual was found unresponsive just before 7 PM PDT by a family member. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-07-01 | LightningDardanelle, Tuolumne County Thunderstorms developed in the afternoon along the Sierra Nevada crest and spread eastward. Witnesses reported a 66-year old female died in a campground after a lightning strike hit the area. No enter/exit woulds reported to confirm a direct hit. However, evidence would suggest cardiac arrest due to a lightning strike ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-07-23 | LightningTruckee, Nevada County A 71-yr-old man was struck and killed by lightning during an early morning thunderstorm at Donner Memorial State Park just west of Truckee, CA. He had been camping with family in the Park and was outside in an area of tall trees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-06-03 | LightningPortola, Plumas County The Plumas County Sheriff's Department reported that a woman was struck by lightning at her home in Portola. She was transported by helicopter to the U.C. Davis Medical Center. She never regained consciousness and died from her injuries on June 11th. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest lightning records in California
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-19 | LightningFresno County | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 2001-01-25 | LightningCentral Portion, Sonoma County | 0 | 1 | $1.7M | |
| 2001-07-06 | LightningMontclair, San Bernardino County | 0 | 1 | $1.4M | |
| 2016-05-05 | LightningSanta Nella, Merced County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2024-06-24 | LightningSquaw Vly, Fresno County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2005-04-28 | LightningHanford Municipal Airport, Kings County | 0 | 0 | $642K | |
| 2010-04-12 | LightningHammond, Fresno County | 0 | 0 | $271K | |
| 2000-10-09 | LightningElk Grove, Sacramento County | 0 | 0 | $257K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are lightning records becoming more frequent in California?
California's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | California | United States | California's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 44 | 3,521 | 1.2% |
| 2000s | 162 | 8,052 | 2.0% |
| 2010s | 106 | 5,103 | 2.1% |
| 2020-26 | 43 | 1,544 | 2.8% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent lightning records in California
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-24 | LightningSquaw Vly, Fresno County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2023-09-21 | LightningYosemite Natl Park, Mariposa County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2022-06-22 | LightningSouth Whittier, Los Angeles County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-06-22 | LightningRidgecrest, Kern County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-07-30 | LightningMono Hot Spgs, Fresno County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-07-25 | LightningSierraville Drwtr Ar, Sierra County | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2020-03-27 | LightningLemon Grove, San Diego County | 0 | 2 | $11K | |
| 2019-07-25 | LightningWalker, Mono County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-05-23 | LightningMt Hebron, Siskiyou County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2017-09-03 | LightningLodgepole, Tulare County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2016-10-24 | LightningLa Mesa, San Diego County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-05-05 | LightningSanta Nella, Merced County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
- San Diego County: the county's whole recordThe California county with the most lightning records per square mile
- Lightning across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in CaliforniaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- High wind and dust storms in California9,795 records
- Floods in California7,136 records
- Winter storms in California6,961 records