PlainHazard

New York lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 57 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 582 lightning records in New York from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 19 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 12, 2016 lightning in Dutchess County: 2 deaths and 3 injuries. New York ranks 8th of 52 states and territories by count and 16th of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in New York, 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
5821996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
19average
Deaths
19272 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$19Mas filed
Busiest year
200455 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 New York?

New York averages about 19 lightning records a year since 2000, 8th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (55). Per 10,000 square miles of land, New York records 124 lightning records since 1996, 16th 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. 16. New York 124

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 New York have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, Rockland County leads New York: 12 days with a lightning record since 1996, 69.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Suffolk County has the most lightning records (37 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. Rockland County 69.1 (12)
  2. Nassau County 66.8 (23)
  3. Queens County 55.2 (9)
  4. Schenectady County 48.9 (10)
  5. Westchester County 37.1 (18)
  6. Albany County 36.3 (21)
  7. Orange County 34.5 (32)
  8. Saratoga County 33.3 (29)
  9. Suffolk County 30.7 (37)
  10. Columbia County 28.4 (23)
  11. Putnam County 26.1 (6)
  12. Onondaga County 21.8 (20)

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 New York?

52% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (155 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1 · Feb 6 · Mar 6 · Apr 14 · May 78 · Jun 150 · Jul 155 · Aug 135 · Sep 26 · Oct 9 · Nov 2 · Dec 0 (records).

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

What were the deadliest lightning records in New York?

New York: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2016-08-12 LightningSpackenkill, Dutchess County Five people (four men and one woman) were struck by lightning in Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie during a thunderstorm. The five people were seated in park benches under a tree on the northern side of the park, when lightning struck the tree and traveled through the ground and into the benches. Three of the people ... 2 3 –
2016-08-10 LightningBatavia, Genesee County Thunderstorms moved across western New York during the early morning hours of the 10th. During the afternoon of that day, two people were found dead in a Batavia cemetery. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death of the 34-year-old male and 32-year-old female was a lighting strike from the earlier ... 2 0 –
2021-08-12 LightningWakefield, Bronx County Six people were struck by lightning at Orchard Beach. They were all transported to the hospital. One of them, a 13-year-old boy died due to his injuries. 1 6 –
1998-06-26 LightningLake George, Warren County A weak trough of low pressure touched off thunderstorms in Hamilton, Herkimer and Warren Counties. These thunderstorms produced wind damage in Hamilton and Herkimer counties which included downed trees, powerlines and minor power outages. At Lake George Islands Campground in Warren County, lightning caused three ... 1 3 –
2023-07-24 LightningClockville, Madison County Three construction workers were struck by lightning in the town of Lincoln while sheltering under a tree and waiting for a storm to pass. Unfortunately, all sustained injuries with one of them later passing away due to their injuries. 1 2 –
2012-07-26 LightningNew York, Kings County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A passing warm front triggered multiple severe thunderstorms across the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island. 1 1 $6K
2006-07-28 LightningMontgomery, Orange County Lightning struck 2 women that were playing golf near the Osiris Country Club in Montgomery, resulting in 1 death and 1 injury. The women were struck inside a shelter after running for cover. 1 1 –
2002-08-02 LightningCentral Park, New York County A 25 year old man was struck and killed by lightning at 835 pm while watching thunderstorms from the roof of a four-story building located at 365 Broome Street. A 24 year old woman was also injured in the event. 1 1 –
2002-06-27 LightningWestmoreland, Oneida County Lightning struck a 31 year old woman and mother of two in the front yard of her home. She was knocked unconscious. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Her children were also in the yard at the same time, but only her 5 year old son got struck. He received a first degree burn to his foot. The 6 year old ... 1 1 –
2000-03-11 LightningOyster Bay Cove, Nassau County A severe thunderstorm produced a microburst that snapped six consecutive telephone poles at their base between County Road 39 and Head of Pond Road along Montauk Highway in Water Mill of Southampton. One pole fell onto a moving car causing minor injuries to 4 people. The microburst was confirmed by a NWS ... 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 New York

New York: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2009-04-03 LightningSagaponack, Suffolk County 0 0 $1.1M
2011-07-25 LightningCheektowaga, Erie County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. 0 1 $984K
2002-06-26 LightningBethpage, Nassau County 0 14 $820K
2002-07-09 LightningMahopac Falls, Putnam County 0 0 $820K
2016-08-10 LightningBeixedon Estates, Suffolk County 0 0 $615K
1997-07-15 LightningHighland, Ulster County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 0 1 $460K
2025-04-14 LightningSherburne, Chenango County 0 0 $370K
2007-05-10 LightningMassena, St. Lawrence County 0 0 $356K

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 New York?

New York'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: New York and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeNew YorkUnited StatesNew York's share
1996-99893,5212.5%
2000s2858,0523.5%
2010s1455,1032.8%
2020-26631,5444.1%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in New York

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-11 LightningEast Moriches, Suffolk County 0 0 $10K
2025-08-13 LightningBrooklyn, Kings County 0 0 $5K
2025-07-01 LightningLawrence, Nassau County 0 0 $20K
2025-06-19 LightningCentral Park, New York County 0 1 –
2025-06-09 LightningLocke, Cayuga County 0 1 –
2025-04-14 LightningSherburne, Chenango County 0 0 $370K
2024-05-23 LightningNew York County 0 1 –
2023-08-04 LightningMoody, Franklin County 0 2 –
2023-07-24 LightningClockville, Madison County 1 2 –
2023-07-04 LightningConey Is, Kings County 0 2 –
2022-08-17 LightningBath Dickinsons Field, Steuben County 0 1 –
2021-08-12 LightningWakefield, Bronx County 1 6 –

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.

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