Lightning in New York

Events

582

Deaths

19

Injuries

272

Damage

$13 million

• Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 18, 19972 deaths · 24 injured · 1 in hail · 10 eventsTwo "waves" of severe thunderstorms moved southeast across the area: The first line of thunderstorms moved across Nassau and Western Suffolk Counties during the early afternoon. The second line of thunderstorms moved over the area during the evening.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in New York, August 13, 201623 injured · $1.0 million · 70 kt wind · 94 eventsOn the morning of Saturday, August 13th, a warm front lifted northward across the region. This allowed a very warm and excessively humid air mass to be in place over the area.
• Excessive Heat and Heat in New York, August 12, 20162 deaths · 3 injured · 50 kt wind · 18 eventsA very warm and humid air mass was in place over eastern New York on Friday, August 12th. Daytime temperatures were well into the 90s and dewpoints reached into the low to mid 70s. As a result, heat index values reached 100 to 105 degrees for valley areas.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in New York, August 11, 20042 deaths · 2 injured · 1 in hail · 7 eventsA cold front moved into a humid airmass over the tri-state area on August 11th. Thunderstorms developed along this cold front during the afternoon. Due to the moist airmass in place over the region, the thunderstorms became quite strong to severe.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, July 6, 19991 death · 2 injured · $1.7 million · 100 kt wind · 56 eventsA cold front moved from the Great Lakes eastward across New York State on July 6. With sultry air in place, and favourable strong winds aloft, this front triggered the largest outbreak of severe weather in eastern New York since May 31st, 1998.
• Lightning Strike in New York, August 10, 20162 deaths · 1 eventThunderstorms 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.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strikes in New York, August 12, 20211 death · 6 injured · $153,000 · 52 kt wind · 3 eventsA low pressure trough in a hot and humid air mass triggered severe thunderstorms across Southeastern New York.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 24, 20231 death · 2 injured · $186,000 · 87 kt wind · 23 eventsMultiple rounds of thunderstorms moved through Central New York throughout daytime hours. Many storms became severe with strong wind gusts being the main hazard. Two NWS surveys confirmed strong microbursts.
• Tornadoes and Hail in New York, May 18, 2000$2.5 million · F2 · 41 eventsA strong cold front crossed eastern New York late on May 18. At the same time, very strong winds aloft moved over the area. The combination of the instability, and lift ahead of the front, spawned a line of thunderstorms.
• Tornadoes and Hail in New York, July 3, 19976 injured · $964,000 · F2 · 13 eventsOn July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed eastern New York during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated many severe thunderstorms and three tornadoes in Columbia County.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 26, 20121 death · 1 injured · $34,000 · 1 in hail · 17 eventsA passing warm front triggered multiple severe thunderstorms across the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, September 6 to 7, 19982 injured · $54 million · 78 kt wind · 13 eventsSevere thunderstorms moved onshore over northeast Niagara county shortly before midnight near Olcott and Golden Hill State Park in Barker. The line of storms quickly moved across Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, and northern Cayuga counties.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in New York, March 11, 20001 death · 5 injured · 70 kt wind · 2 eventsA 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.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in New York, June 26, 200214 injured · $500,000 · 50 kt wind · 4 eventsAs severe thunderstorms moved across the region, they produced high winds, frequent and dangerous lightning strikes, and heavy rain. High winds downed many trees and power lines across the region.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, June 26, 19981 death · 3 injured · $13,000 · 4 eventsA 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.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in New York, June 27, 20071 death · 1 in hail · 25 eventsA hot, humid and unstable airmass, interacted with a lake breeze boundary and led to numerous thunderstorms across eastern New York and western New England during the late afternoon hours of Wednesday June 27th, some of which were severe.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, August 2, 20021 death · 1 injured · 55 kt wind · 16 eventsAs a line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast, it produced high winds that downed many trees and power lines from Warwick northeast to Walden. Local newspapers reported that several trees were downed at Warwick High School and on the St. Stephen's Church and school grounds.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in New York, July 7 to 8, 20131 death · 1.75 in hail · 14 eventsDuring the day on Sunday, July 7th, a warm, southerly flow around a Bermuda High Pressure area allowed plenty of moisture to stream into eastern New York. This allowed for an unstable air mass to be in place across the region.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in New York, May 10 to 11, 20001 injured · $1.8 million · 2 in hail · 58 events1 inch diameter hail was reported along with trees and wires down from thunderstorm winds.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, July 28, 20061 death · 1 injured · 52 kt wind · 5 eventsSevere thunderstorms produced high winds that downed many trees and power lines throughout Putnam County, about 5 miles northeast of Jamaica, Queens, in Tottenville on Staten Island, and in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.
• Lightning Strike in New York, June 27, 20021 death · 1 injured · 1 eventLightning 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.
• Lightning Strikes in New York, August 18, 20181 death · $2,000 · 2 eventsA cold front along with an upper level disturbance trigged thunderstorms across the southeastern New York.
• Lightning Strike in New York, August 3, 19961 death · 1 eventThunderstorms produced vivid cloud to ground lightning across Sullivan county. A woman in the town of Fallsburgh was struck by lightning and killed while working on her garden.
• Lightning Strike in New York, September 25, 19991 death · 1 eventAs a cold front approached the area, a narrow line of showers and thunderstorms moved across the region. Lightning struck a gasoline tanker truck on Route 9A near the Saw Mill River Parkway in Hawthorne, which resulted in the death of the driver.
• Lightning Strike in New York, August 27, 20041 death · 1 eventA 12-year-old boy was killed by lightning. His mother and a neighbor took shelter from a thunderstorm under a tree in Assumption Cemetery. Both the boy and his mother had bicycles with them. The neighbor was in a wheelchair.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in New York

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.