Lightning in Utah

Events

75

Deaths

22

Injuries

44

Damage

$1.8 million

• Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Utah, July 11 to 13, 20113 deaths · 3 injured · $200,000 · 60 kt wind · 4 eventsThunderstorms formed across northern Utah again on July 13th. One of these storms produced a major flash flood near Tabiona, which resulted in one fatality, while two other deaths occurred due to lightning strikes in the Scofield area and San Rafael Desert.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, August 23, 20002 deaths · 4 injured · 1 eventA 26-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were struck and killed by lightning while fighting a fire on the north end of the Stansbury Mountains. The lightning strike also injured 4 other members of the Flame-N-Go's firefighting unit from the Utah State Prison's Lone Peak facility.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, July 19, 20032 deaths · 3 injured · 1 eventA mother and father were killed and their 3 children injured after being hit by lightning near Crystal Lake in the Uinta Mountains. The family had taken shelter from the thunderstorm under a tree when the lightning struck the tree.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, July 25, 20022 deaths · 1 eventOne 28-year-old male and one 23-year-old female, a husband and wife, were struck and killed by lightning near the summit of Lone Peak in the Wasatch Mountain Range just southeast of Salt Lake City.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Utah, August 17 to 19, 20241 death · 4 injured · $206,000 · 71 kt wind · 33 eventsThunderstorms brought gusty winds to much of Utah and flash flooding to southern Utah.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in Utah, July 18 to 22, 20211 death · $427,000 · 1.5 in hail · 34 eventsAn active monsoon surge brought several back-to-back days of thunderstorms producing heavy rain, damaging wind gusts, and hail across the state.
• Lightning Strikes in Utah, May 24, 20001 death · 7 injured · 2 eventsAn 11-year-old girl was killed and six other children were injured when lightning struck them as they were getting out of Midvalley Elementary School in Midvale. The children were walking across the playground, heading for their bus when the lightning struck.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Utah, July 10, 19981 death · 2 injured · $1,000 · 62 kt wind · 2 eventsA microburst wind gust to 72 mph (62kts) was measured at the Muskrat Springs RAWS from a severe thunderstorm. Lightning claimed the life of a construction worker in Draper and injured 2 co-workers.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, July 18, 19971 death · 2 injured · 1 eventLightning struck a group of Scouts camping in the Uinta mountains on this date. 1 young Boy Scout and 2 Scout leaders were hit by the lightning. 1 of the Scout leaders died.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, August 14, 20031 death · 2 injured · 1 eventA 20-year-old woman was killed and her grandparents injured when they were struck by lightning while hiking to the Deadhorse lake area in the high Uintas.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, October 13, 20071 death · 2 injured · 1 eventShowers and thunderstorms occurred across much of northern Utah, and a man was killed by a lightning strike.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Utah, August 18 to 22, 20111 death · 1 injured · 0.75 in hail · 9 eventsThe flash flooding threat began again in the middle of the month, with the largest flash floods in Capitol Reef National Park and along the Escalante River. Isolated large hail was reported with a couple of storms, and cloud-to-ground lightning struck a couple individuals.
• Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Utah, July 24 to 29, 20172 injured · $8.8 million · 12 eventsThunderstorms continued across Utah for the last week of July, with many storms producing heavy rainfall. This led to flash flooding in many locations, including a particularly damaging flood in Salt Lake City.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, July 22, 20161 death · 1 injured · 1 eventLightning struck and killed one person and injured another at Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Utah, July 21 to 24, 20121 death · 54 kt wind · 4 eventsSubtropical moisture continued to move into Utah, creating scattered showers and thunderstorms across much of the state. However, the strongest storms were located over southern Utah, where flash flooding and strong thunderstorm winds were both observed.
• Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Utah, August 26 to 30, 20151 death · 3 eventsThunderstorms continued across southern Utah during the last week of August, with a couple of flash floods reported in far southern Utah. A lightning fatality also occurred in northern Utah during this period of time.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, August 17, 19961 death · 1 eventA man was struck by lightning while hiking with two others on the Delicate Arch trail in Arches National Park. Lightning from the thunderstorm also started two fires in the park.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, May 29, 19991 death · 1 eventA man was struck by lightning in the Dewey Bridge area while sightseeing with family.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, October 1, 20031 death · 1 eventA 64-year-old man was struck and killed by lightning while attempting to load a boat out of Strawberry reservoir and onto a trailer.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, August 2, 20051 death · 1 event15 year old male camper was killed by a lightning strike. Lightning struck the Adirondack-style shelter they were camping in.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Utah, August 26, 19981 injured · $1.0 million · 1.25 in hail · 6 eventsA severe thunderstorm outbreak left damage in its wake across northern Utah. Large hail, microburst winds and heavy rain were reported in several counties. The largest hail of 1 1/4" fell in Alpine. A microburst wind to 70 mph (61kts) was measured in Kaysville.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, April 7 to 8, 2018$400,000 · 1 eventShowers and thunderstorms developed on April 7 and 8 in association with a storm system moving through Utah. Lightning from one of these thunderstorms caused damage to a house.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, August 13, 1997$300,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a chimney and sparked a fire in the Aix La Chapelle Condominiums at 2220 E 4800 S in Holladay. several units received heavy fire damage.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Utah, July 26 to 31, 20121 injured · $110,000 · 55 kt wind · 11 eventsThunderstorms remained very active across Utah at the end of the month of July. Several flash floods occurred during this period of time, and severe winds were observed in Utah's northwest desert on July 26th.
• Lightning Strike in Utah, June 9, 2000$200,000 · 1 eventA lightning strike near Myton damaged a treatment unit and destroyed two 400-gallon oil tanks.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in Utah

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.