Massachusetts lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 14 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 501 lightning records in Massachusetts from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 17 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the September 6, 2014 lightning in Essex County: 2 deaths and 1 injury across 2 records. Massachusetts ranks 12th of 52 states and territories by count and 3rd of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Massachusetts, 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: 5011996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 17average
Deaths: 8165 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $37Mas filed
Busiest year: 200868 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 Massachusetts?

Massachusetts averages about 17 lightning records a year since 2000, 12th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (68). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Massachusetts records 642 lightning records since 1996, 3rd 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 Massachusetts have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, Norfolk County leads Massachusetts: 45 days with a lightning record since 1996, 113.6 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Worcester County has the most lightning records (75 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).

Norfolk County 113.6 (56)
Hampshire County 77.8 (44)
Essex County 75.1 (49)
Middlesex County 67.2 (63)
Barnstable County 66.0 (32)
Plymouth County 60.7 (45)
Bristol County 57.9 (40)
Hampden County 48.6 (32)
Worcester County 43.0 (75)
Franklin County 31.5 (25)
Berkshire County 16.2 (16)
Dukes County 9.7 (2)

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 Massachusetts?

59% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (178 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 5 · Feb 0 · Mar 5 · Apr 14 · May 51 · Jun 116 · Jul 178 · Aug 99 · Sep 28 · Oct 1 · Nov 3 · Dec 1 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest lightning records in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2014-09-06	LightningConomo Pt, Essex County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. An approaching cold front provided enough lift in a rather unstable environment to produce showers and thunderstorms across southern New England. Many of these storms produced strong to damaging winds.	2	1	–
2000-06-27	LightningWestford, Middlesex County Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and hail to much of central and eastern Massachusetts. As the storms moved through Middlesex County, lightning struck and killed a 15-year old boy in Westford, as he was doing yardwork. In Hopkinton, three 8-year old children were slightly injured when lightning hit a tree ...	1	3	–
2008-06-20	LightningHaverhill Airport, Essex County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A few isolated thunderstorms were associated with two lightning strikes that injured two people and killed another.	1	2	–
2010-09-08	LightningPlymouth County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A cold front moved across Southern New England, producing showers and thunderstorms across eastern Massachusetts during the morning hours.	1	1	–
2010-08-05	LightningSouth Boston, Suffolk County A 50 year old man was struck by lightning while walking in an area known as the Sugar Bowl in South Boston. Lightning struck him in the head, passing through his back and exiting his feet. He collapsed in cardiac arrest and was revived and hospitalized for several days before dying from his injuries.	1	0	–
2009-07-01	LightningOrleans, Barnstable County A 41 year old man was out digging for quahogs (clams) on the tidal flats of Little Pleasant Bay, a quarter mile east of Sipsons Island when he was struck by lightning and killed.	1	0	–
2001-07-10	LightningRevere, Suffolk County Severe thunderstorms rolled through much of western and central Massachusetts, dropping large hail and downing trees and power lines in Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester, and Middlesex Counties. Hail the size of ping pong balls was reported in South Oxford, while quarter-sized hail fell in South Amherst, Belchertown, ...	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 Massachusetts

Massachusetts: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Injured	Damage
2008-06-27	LightningBack Bay Annex, Suffolk County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's.	4	$7.2M
2003-08-16	LightningMashpee, Barnstable County	0	$4.0M
2001-08-03	LightningBoston, Suffolk County	0	$2.5M
2009-05-24	LightningEast Walpole, Norfolk County	1	$1.4M
2014-07-23	LightningFlorence, Hampshire County	0	$1.2M
2002-07-23	LightningBrockton, Plymouth County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's.	0	$820K
2002-06-27	LightningWestborough, Worcester County	0	$820K
2023-06-02	LightningSpencer, Worcester County	0	$775K

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 Massachusetts?

Massachusetts'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.

Lightning: Massachusetts and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Massachusetts	United States	Massachusetts's share
1996-99	48	3,521	1.4%
2000s	211	8,052	2.6%
2010s	183	5,103	3.6%
2020-26	59	1,544	3.8%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Massachusetts

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Injured	Damage
2026-06-06	LightningNorth Agawam, Hampden County	0	$300
2026-03-31	LightningTurners Falls, Franklin County	0	$1K
2025-07-25	LightningSwansea, Bristol County	0	$10K
2025-07-01	LightningBurlington, Middlesex County	0	$10K
2025-06-06	LightningBay State, Hampshire County	0	$8K
2025-06-06	LightningNorthampton, Hampshire County	0	$7K
2025-06-06	LightningAthol, Worcester County	0	$5K
2025-06-06	LightningOrange, Franklin County	0	$5K
2023-09-09	LightningBoston, Suffolk County	1	–
2023-06-06	LightningPelham, Hampshire County	1	–
2023-06-02	LightningSpencer, Worcester County	0	$775K
2020-07-01	LightningMidland, Norfolk County	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.