Illinois lightning
Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 79 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 447 lightning records in Illinois from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 16 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the June 10, 1999 lightning in Rock Island County: 2 deaths. Illinois ranks 15th of 52 states and territories by count and 23rd of 51 per square mile.
Lightning in Illinois, 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
- 4471996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 16average
- Deaths
- 2290 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $34Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 201164 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 Illinois?
Illinois averages about 16 lightning records a year since 2000, 15th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2011 (64). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Illinois records 81 lightning records since 1996, 23rd 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 Illinois have the most lightning records?
Per square mile, DuPage County leads Illinois: 19 days with a lightning record since 1996, 58.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Cook County has the most lightning records (57 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 Illinois?
45% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (104 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 5 · Mar 13 · Apr 27 · May 63 · Jun 99 · Jul 104 · Aug 85 · Sep 33 · Oct 12 · Nov 2 · Dec 1 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest lightning records in Illinois?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-10 | LightningMilan, Rock Island County A man and woman fishing along the Rock River just east of the U.S. 67 bridge in Milan were struck and killed by lightning. The couple were fishing underneath a tree when the storm rolled in. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-07-28 | LightningBolingbrook, Will County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. Scattered thunderstorms went through northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening. Heavy rain brought some minor flooding, and there were some reports of funnel clouds. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2006-06-02 | LightningElgin, Kane County Two men were struck by lightning on a golf course after taking cover under trees. One of the men died from his injuries two days later. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2005-06-26 | LightningRoselle, DuPage County Two people were struck by lightning in their backyard. A 15 year old male was taken to the hospital where he died. A 51 year old male recovered from his injuries. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-06-03 | LightningBuffalo Grove, Lake County Two men were struck by lightning on a ball field in Buffalo Grove. One man survived, but the second man died from his injuries two days later. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2013-05-26 | LightningShelbyville, Shelby County A 29 year-old fisherman was struck by lightning on the Kaskaskia River near the Lake Shelbyville Dam at around 3:50 PM CDT on Sunday, May 26th. The man later died at Shelby Memorial Hospital in Shelbyville. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-05-30 | LightningThe Meadows, DuPage County A 17 year old girl was struck by lightning in O'Brien Park. Police found her unconscious and not breathing, she was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-07-07 | LightningNashville, Washington County A 51 year old man was killed by a lightning strike when he stepped out of his front door onto the porch. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-07-28 | LightningClay, Livingston County A 57 year old man was riding a bicycle on Road 700 East, about one quarter mile north of Road 3100 North when he was struck by lightning. The man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-03-29 | LightningCarbondale, Jackson County An 18-year-old high school student was struck and killed by lightning at a track meet. The lightning strike occurred on the school's campus just before the start of the track meet. Witnesses stated there was little rain, thunder, or lightning prior to the fatal strike. The student was declared dead on arrival at the ... | 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 Illinois
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-23 | LightningElk Grove Vlg, Cook County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | |
| 2011-04-09 | LightningSpringfield, Sangamon County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2014-10-01 | LightningPerry, Pike County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2014-08-27 | LightningHoyleton, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1998-05-28 | LightningWaukegan, Lake County | 0 | 0 | $905K | |
| 2011-05-22 | LightningBeecher, Will County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $722K | |
| 2009-07-16 | LightningKankakee County | 0 | 0 | $688K | |
| 2023-07-05 | LightningGeneva, Kane County | 0 | 2 | $678K |
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 Illinois?
Illinois'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 | Illinois | United States | Illinois's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 38 | 3,521 | 1.1% |
| 2000s | 194 | 8,052 | 2.4% |
| 2010s | 191 | 5,103 | 3.7% |
| 2020-26 | 24 | 1,544 | 1.6% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent lightning records in Illinois
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-18 | LightningForest Park, Will County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-08-18 | LightningEast Peoria, Tazewell County | 0 | 0 | $8K | |
| 2025-08-18 | LightningFarmington, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-08-17 | LightningBoulder Hill, Kendall County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-08-16 | LightningCarillon, Will County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-08-12 | LightningUptown, Cook County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-07-18 | LightningRound Knob, Massac County | 0 | 0 | $15K | |
| 2024-06-25 | LightningMarengo, McHenry County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2023-07-26 | LightningWinnebago County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2023-07-05 | LightningGeneva, Kane County | 0 | 2 | $678K | |
| 2022-08-08 | LightningRockford, Winnebago County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2022-08-03 | LightningGarfield Park, Cook County | 0 | 1 | – |
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
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