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Rhode Island lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 5 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 59 lightning records in Rhode Island from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.1 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the August 11, 2004 lightning in Washington County: 1 death and 1 injury. Rhode Island ranks 47th of 52 states and territories by count and 4th of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Rhode Island, 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
591996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
3.1average
Deaths
219 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$2.1Mas filed
Busiest year
20015 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 Rhode Island?

Rhode Island averages about 3.1 lightning records a year since 2000, 47th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2001 (5). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Rhode Island records 571 lightning records since 1996, 4th 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

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 Rhode Island have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, Newport County leads Rhode Island: 8 days with a lightning record since 1996, 78.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Providence County has the most lightning records (28 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. Newport County 78.1 (8)
  2. Providence County 61.1 (28)
  3. Kent County 47.5 (8)
  4. Washington County 24.3 (8)

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 Rhode Island?

61% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (18 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1 · Feb 1 · Mar 1 · Apr 1 · May 2 · Jun 18 · Jul 18 · Aug 9 · Sep 6 · Oct 1 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).

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

What were the deadliest lightning records in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2004-08-11 LightningNarragansett Pier, Washington County Two men were struck by lightning from an early morning thunderstorm while fishing at East Matunuck State Beach in Narragansett. They were trying to find shelter when they were hit, according to media reports. One man, who initially was in critical condition, succumbed to his injuries a couple of days later. The other ... 1 1 –
2008-06-24 LightningBristol County A 42 year old man was hit by lightning while fishing on a jetty. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. 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 Rhode Island

Rhode Island: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1997-06-22 LightningWarwick, Kent County 0 0 $460K
2001-06-17 LightningFoster, Providence County 0 0 $250K
2025-07-08 LightningWest Barrington, Bristol County One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 0 0 $30K
2025-07-25 LightningPrimrose, Providence County 0 0 $300

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 Rhode Island?

Rhode Island'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: Rhode Island and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeRhode IslandUnited StatesRhode Island's share
1996-9963,5210.17%
2000s278,0520.34%
2010s175,1030.33%
2020-2691,5440.58%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Rhode Island

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-07-25 LightningPrimrose, Providence County 0 0 $300
2025-07-08 LightningHamlet, Providence County 0 0 $5K
2025-07-08 LightningWest Barrington, Bristol County 0 0 $15K
2025-07-08 LightningBristol Highlands, Bristol County 0 0 $10K
2012-07-01 LightningChepachet, Providence County 0 3 –
2009-08-05 LightningCoventry, Kent County 0 9 –
2008-06-24 LightningBristol County 1 0 –
2004-08-11 LightningNarragansett Pier, Washington County 1 1 –
2002-06-22 LightningWest Glocester, Providence County 0 1 –
2002-04-03 LightningCranston, Providence County 0 1 –
2001-07-15 LightningBurrillville, Providence County 0 4 –
2001-06-17 LightningFoster, Providence County 0 0 $250K

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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