PlainHazard

Nevada lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 8 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 81 lightning records in Nevada from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.3 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 8, 2006 lightning in Nye County: 1 death and 1 injury. Nevada ranks 42nd of 52 states and territories by count and 47th of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Nevada, 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
811996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
3.3average
Deaths
122 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$11Mas filed
Busiest year
20149 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 Nevada?

Nevada averages about 3.3 lightning records a year since 2000, 42nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2014 (9). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nevada records 7.4 lightning records since 1996, 47th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. New Jersey 859
  2. 2. Delaware 744
  3. 3. Massachusetts 642
  4. 4. Rhode Island 571
  5. 5. Connecticut 353
  6. 6. Florida 331
  7. 7. Maryland 322
  8. 8. New Hampshire 232
  9. 9. Georgia 228
  10. 10. Puerto Rico 175
  11. 47. Nevada 7.4

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 Nevada have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, Douglas County leads Nevada: 5 days with a lightning record since 1996, 7.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Clark County has the most lightning records (54 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).

  1. Douglas County 7.0 (5)
  2. Clark County 6.2 (54)
  3. Esmeralda County 1.1 (4)
  4. Lyon County 1.0 (2)
  5. Washoe County 0.8 (5)
  6. Nye County 0.4 (9)
  7. Churchill County 0.2 (1)
  8. Elko County 0.1 (1)

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 Nevada?

57% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (24 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 2 · May 2 · Jun 7 · Jul 24 · Aug 22 · Sep 15 · Oct 8 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).

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

What were the deadliest lightning records in Nevada?

Nevada: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-07-08 LightningTonopah, Nye County A 16 year old boy was struck and killed by lightning when he and his dad got out of their pickup truck to check the tires. His father was thrown to the ground when the lightning struck. The father was taken to the hospital for treatment and released. The boy's mother and sister stayed in the truck and were unharmed. 1 1 –

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 Nevada

Nevada: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1998-07-09 LightningHenderson, Clark County 0 0 $2.7M
2024-07-25 LightningNas Fallon, Churchill County 0 0 $2.4M
2007-08-27 LightningLas Vegas, Clark County 0 0 $1.4M
2005-06-22 LightningHenderson, Clark County 0 0 $756K
2012-08-01 LightningMcCarran/Las Ve, Clark County 0 0 $643K
1998-07-20 LightningLas Vegas, Clark County 0 0 $453K
2013-06-28 LightningLemmon Vly, Washoe County 0 0 $380K
2016-08-22 LightningMoapa, Clark County 0 0 $307K

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 Nevada?

Nevada'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: Nevada and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeNevadaUnited StatesNevada's share
1996-99113,5210.31%
2000s198,0520.24%
2010s445,1030.86%
2020-2671,5440.45%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Nevada

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-10-09 LightningJohnnie, Nye County 0 0 $10K
2025-10-09 LightningManse, Nye County 0 0 $100
2024-07-25 LightningNas Fallon, Churchill County 0 0 $2.4M
2021-09-10 LightningBracken, Clark County 0 3 –
2016-08-22 LightningMoapa, Clark County 0 0 $307K
2014-08-11 LightningLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County 0 1 $12K
2013-06-28 LightningLemmon Vly, Washoe County 0 0 $380K
2012-08-01 LightningMcCarran/Las Ve, Clark County 0 0 $643K
2011-10-03 LightningParadise, Clark County 0 1 $131K
2011-09-24 LightningWest Reno, Washoe County 0 4 –
2010-08-08 LightningLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County 0 0 $271K
2008-08-07 LightningLas Vegas Hndrsn Sky, Clark County 0 2 –

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