Lightning in New Hampshire

Events

208

Deaths

0

Injuries

118

Damage

$10 million

• Hail and Damaging Wind in New Hampshire, June 24, 201330 injured · 1 in hail · 7 eventsA hot and humid airmass was in place over the forecast area on the afternoon of June 24th.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 9, 1997$3.0 million · 1 eventLightning ignited a massive 21 alarm fire between 4:00 and 4:30 pm that gutted a lumber mill in Bradford. More than 200 firefighters and 50 fire trucks battled the blazed that completely destroyed the lumber yard.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, August 16, 200312 injured · 1 eventTwelve people were injured when lightning struck Jaffrey's annual Festival of Fireworks at Silver Ranch Airport. Lightning also set off some of the fireworks, but the fireworks did not cause any of the injuries.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, June 25, 2000$700,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a triple chair-lift at the Waterville Valley Ski Area causing a fire in the lift building and severely damaged the ski lift. Although the lift towers remained standing, the ski lift cable and many of the chairs fell to the ground. About $700,000.
• Hail and Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, May 10, 2007$500,000 · 1.75 in hail · 2 eventsAn isolated severe thunderstorm in Windham New Hampshire dropped 1.75 inch hail. Lightning from the storm ignited a fire that destroyed a large home in the town causing an estimated $500,000 in damage.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in New Hampshire, May 31, 2002$150,000 · 50 kt wind · 24 eventsA line of severe thunderstorms moving through New Hampshire produced severe winds that downed trees and power lines throughout the central and southeastern part of the state. About 18,000 customers lost electrical service during the storms.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in New Hampshire, September 12, 2013$275,000 · 50 kt wind · 10 eventsA pre-frontal surface trough developed over southern New England, providing a focus for low level convection. Plenty of instability, as well as a strong upper jet aloft, allowed several of these storms to become severe, producing damaging winds.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, July 6, 2007$200,000 · 1 in hail · 14 eventsSevere thunderstorms rolled across New Hampshire during the afternoon of July 6, producing numerous reports of large hail and wind damage, and several damaging lightning strikes.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, August 16, 2002$352,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 eventsSevere thunderstorms downed trees in Gilsum and Richmond. Lightning strikes caused significant damage to two homes. One house burned to the ground in Hollis and another sustained severe damage in Amherst.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, May 24, 2004$350,000 · 1 eventLightning strikes started two house fires in Weare and Hollis which brought significant damage to both residences.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, September 27, 2007$200,000 · 1.75 in hail · 12 eventsSevere thunderstorms developed in southeast New Hampshire and quickly moved into southwestern Maine on the morning of the 27th. Lightning struck a home in Alton and caused a fire that destroyed the structure.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, August 13, 20039 injured · 1 eventFive campers and four staff members taking shelter in a building at a summer day camp in Pelham were taken to areas hospitals with minor injuries when lightning struck near them at Veterans Memorial Park.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 27, 2005$250,000 · 1 eventLightning struck and ignited a fire that destroyed a newly constructed home in Plaistow.
• Flood and Hail in New Hampshire, August 4, 2012$195,000 · 50 kt wind · 4 eventsA warm front moved north through southern New England producing scattered showers and thunderstorms across a very warm, humid environment.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 22, 1999$200,000 · 1 eventLightning from a late evening thunderstorm ignited fires and caused damage to several structures in the town of Franklin.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, May 23, 2004$200,000 · 1 eventA lightning strike caused a fire that badly damaged a Bedford home in the middle of the night. No one was injured when lightning struck the single-story home's basement, causing a series of electrical failures that started the fire. The house was a total loss.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 19, 2005$200,000 · 1 eventLightning ignited a fire that destroyed a 200-year-old, 40 by 80 foot, 3-story barn in the town of Sandwich. The barn had been used to store theatrical sets for a nearby theater company. The theatrical sets, some lumber, and farm equipment were destroyed in the blaze.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 11, 2006$200,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a home in Northwood and ignited a fire that heavily damaged the structure.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, June 27, 2008$200,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a two-story apartment building in Colebrook and the resultant fire heavily damaged the structure. Two families were displaced by the fire. Damage was estimated at $200,000.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 18, 2008$200,000 · 1 eventA lightning strike ignited a fire that burned down a house in Newington.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, September 6, 2014$131,000 · 96 kt wind · 8 eventsAn approaching cold front provided enough lift in a rather unstable environment to produce showers and thunderstorms across southern New England. Many of these storms produced strong to damaging winds.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, June 27, 20051 injured · $110,000 · 1 eventLightning caused several problems in the town of Plymouth during Monday evening, June 27. Lightning struck and ignited a fire that completely destroyed a 24- by 30-foot wooden barn in Plymouth causing an estimated $60,000 in damage.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, August 2, 2002$150,000 · 1 eventA Candia home was destroyed after lightning struck a tree 100 feet from the structure. The lightning apparently followed an underground path from the tree to the house and blew up the ground and a portion of the walkway in between.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, May 15, 2004$150,000 · 1 eventA lightning strike ignited a fire that heavily damaged a home in Lee.
• Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, June 14, 2005$150,000 · 1 eventLightning struck and ignited a fire at a home in Northfield causing extensive fire and water damage to the structure. The lightning apparently struck the chimney, then spread to the attic of the home. Water damage was reported throughout the structure.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in New Hampshire

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.