PlainHazard

Washington lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 28 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 106 lightning records in Washington from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 3.1 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the September 15, 1996 lightning in Snohomish County: 1 death. Washington ranks 39th of 52 states and territories by count and 42nd of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Washington, 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
1061996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
3.1average
Deaths
235 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$5.4Mas filed
Busiest year
199714 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 Washington?

Washington averages about 3.1 lightning records a year since 2000, 39th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1997 (14). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Washington records 16 lightning records since 1996, 42nd 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. 42. Washington 16

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 Washington have the most lightning records?

Per square mile, King County leads Washington: 22 days with a lightning record since 1996, 10.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, King County has the most lightning records (22 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. King County 10.4 (22)
  2. Clark County 6.4 (4)
  3. Spokane County 5.7 (11)
  4. Kitsap County 5.1 (2)
  5. Snohomish County 4.3 (9)
  6. Thurston County 4.2 (3)
  7. Asotin County 3.1 (2)
  8. Pierce County 3.0 (5)
  9. Franklin County 2.4 (3)
  10. Mason County 2.1 (2)
  11. Chelan County 1.7 (5)
  12. Jefferson County 1.7 (3)

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 Washington?

43% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is August (27 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1 · Feb 4 · Mar 0 · Apr 8 · May 13 · Jun 13 · Jul 19 · Aug 27 · Sep 13 · Oct 3 · Nov 3 · Dec 2 (records).

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

What were the deadliest lightning records in Washington?

Washington: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1996-09-15 LightningMarysville, Snohomish County 14 year old Michael Allen Trumble was struck by lightning while standing under a tree, next to his dirt bike. 1 0 –
1996-04-16 LightningDeer Park, Chelan County A 15 year old boy was struck by lightning during a brief thunderstorm. 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 Washington

Washington: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2000-08-23 LightningMabton, Yakima County 0 0 $1.7M
1999-08-03 LightningCountywide, King County 0 2 $1.2M
2011-05-14 LightningBowers Field Elle, Kittitas County 0 0 $394K
1999-08-03 LightningSilverdale, Kitsap County 0 0 $266K
2020-05-30 LightningPasco, Franklin County 0 4 $14K
2013-07-31 LightningIssaquah, King County 0 1 $13K
2004-09-01 LightningGraham, Pierce County 0 1 $3K
2000-09-03 LightningBonney Lake, Pierce County 0 1 $3K

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 Washington?

Washington'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: Washington and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeWashingtonUnited StatesWashington's share
1996-99383,5211.1%
2000s438,0520.5%
2010s205,1030.4%
2020-2651,5440.3%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Washington

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2020-05-30 LightningPasco, Franklin County 0 4 $14K
2019-09-06 LightningLongview, Cowlitz County 0 1 –
2013-09-05 LightningSanderson Field S, Mason County 0 1 $3K
2013-09-05 LightningChehalis, Lewis County 0 1 –
2013-07-31 LightningIssaquah, King County 0 1 $13K
2012-07-13 LightningRenton, King County 0 1 $1K
2011-05-14 LightningBowers Field Elle, Kittitas County 0 0 $394K
2007-06-24 LightningSedro Woolley, Skagit County 0 5 –
2006-07-06 LightningWenatchee, Chelan County 0 1 –
2004-09-01 LightningGraham, Pierce County 0 1 $3K
2004-08-06 LightningSpokane County 0 1 –
2004-05-27 LightningToledo, Lewis County 0 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.

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