North Carolina lightning
Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 90 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 813 lightning records in North Carolina from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 25 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 29, 2003 lightning in Mecklenburg County: 3 deaths, 1 injury and $48,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. North Carolina ranks 4th of 52 states and territories by count and 12th of 51 per square mile.
Lightning in North Carolina, 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
- 8131996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 25average
- Deaths
- 41277 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $85Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 201080 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina averages about 25 lightning records a year since 2000, 4th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2010 (80). Per 10,000 square miles of land, North Carolina records 167 lightning records since 1996, 12th 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 North Carolina have the most lightning records?
Per square mile, New Hanover County leads North Carolina: 37 days with a lightning record since 1996, 192.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Mecklenburg County has the most lightning records (46 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 North Carolina?
57% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (277 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 8 · Feb 11 · Mar 21 · Apr 41 · May 86 · Jun 184 · Jul 277 · Aug 151 · Sep 26 · Oct 2 · Nov 1 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest lightning records in North Carolina?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-29 | LightningMatthews, Mecklenburg County Three people were killed and another injured when lightning struck a large oak tree, which then fell on and crushed the vehicle they were sitting in. Two other vehicles were damaged by the fallen tree. | 3 | 1 | $48K | |
| 1999-07-24 | LightningChadbourn, Columbus County Two men were crossing an open field when they were struck by lightning, killing them instantly.The sky was described as cloud-free at the time, but 15 minutes later it was pouring rain. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-08-05 | LightningWilmington, New Hanover County Two men were clearing debris after Hurricane Isaias when lightning struck and killed the two men. The lightning also sparked an attic fire at a neighboring house. | 2 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2000-06-25 | LightningBakersville, Mitchell County Strong to severe thunderstorms developed in the mountains during the early afternoon and rumbled east across the foothills and into the western piedmont by early evening. All of the damage was produced by straight-line winds estimated almost as high as 70 mph that downed trees and power lines. In the Asheville, ... | 1 | 5 | – | |
| 2008-07-07 | LightningTopsail, Pender County During a thunderstorm, four people took refuge under a house on Lea Island. A boy was struck by lightning and was killed. Three others were indirectly struck by lightning and were transported to the hospital. They reportedly were not seriously injured. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2002-08-24 | LightningHatteras, Dare County Lightning struck 5 people attempting to dig a vehicle out of the sand. One woman was killed and 4 others were injured, one seriously. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 1999-08-08 | LightningCashiers, Jackson County Lightning struck 3 people hiking at Whiteside Cliffs near the Macon county line and South Carolina state line, and at an elevation of 4900 feet. A teenage boy died and the two others were injured. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 1998-05-23 | LightningDavis, Carteret County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A classic bow echo moved through eastern portion of State producing widespread wind damage. The hardest hit area was around Hugo in northern Lenoir county where 12 homes were damaged, three of which were ripped apart. Several boats capsized off Carteret county with several injuries. The bow echo evolved into a "comma ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-06-15 | LightningGraham, Alamance County A 19 year old male was struck by lightning and killed while taking shelter under a tree. It was not raining at the time. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2009-09-25 | LightningWrightsville Beach, New Hanover County A thunderstorm moved quickly into the Wrightsville Beach area, and lightning struck a young man swimming near the Crystal Pier. | 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 North Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-07-21 | LightningOriental, Pamlico County | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | |
| 1996-08-01 | LightningJacksonville, Onslow County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2001-05-24 | LightningShelby, Cleveland County | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 1997-07-04 | LightningEden, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 1998-07-20 | LightningCountywide, Mecklenburg County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2008-12-11 | LightningChapel Hill, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2010-06-12 | LightningHamilton Lakes, Guilford County | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2010-05-16 | LightningHighlands, Macon County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
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 North Carolina?
North Carolina'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 | North Carolina | United States | North Carolina's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 152 | 3,521 | 4.3% |
| 2000s | 320 | 8,052 | 4.0% |
| 2010s | 281 | 5,103 | 5.5% |
| 2020-26 | 60 | 1,544 | 3.9% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent lightning records in North Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | LightningSouth Wilmington, New Hanover County | 0 | 0 | $300K | |
| 2026-06-28 | LightningEast Wilmington, New Hanover County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-05-21 | LightningSpray, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-07-26 | LightningPiney Grove, Brunswick County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2025-07-15 | LightningReidsville, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-07-12 | LightningMorganton, Burke County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-07-12 | LightningTaylorsville Airport, Alexander County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | LightningNew Hope, Iredell County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-07-08 | LightningLawsonville, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-06-29 | LightningScotts Hill, Pender County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | LightningWehutty, Cherokee County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-04-11 | LightningMidway Park, Onslow County | 1 | 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
- New Hanover County: the county's whole recordThe North Carolina county with the most lightning records per square mile
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