Summer is heating up across the U.S., with the rising temperatures frequently bringing summer storms along for the ride. While the warmer weather can increase the risk of everything from hurricanes to landslides in certain parts of the country, there’s one summer phenomenon that affects all 50 states, and have deadly consequences: lightning. According to the National Lightning Safety Council, approximately 70 percent of lightning fatalities take place in June, July, and August, with fishing, beach activities, camping, boating, and yard work associated with the greatest number of lightning-related deaths between 2006 and 2019.
Though thunderstorms are common across the U.S., certain states have significantly higher rates of lightning strikes than others. According to a 2020 report published by the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network, in 2019, Texas had 16,032,609 in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, the highest number of any state in the country, with Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, and New Mexico rounding out the top 10.
However, there’s one state in particular that has been dubbed the “lightning capital” of the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Florida. The CDC reports that the Sunshine State has seen a staggering 2,000 lightning injuries in the past 50 years—more than any other state—as well as over 5.2 million cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-ground strikes hitting the state in 2019 alone.
That said, with an estimated 90 percent of lightning strike victims surviving their injuries, the states with the most lightning strikes and the most lightning fatalities are not always one and the same. If you want to gauge your risk, read on to discover which U.S. states and territories have the highest number of fatal lightning strikes, according to data from the Lightning Safety Council.
RELATED: If You See This While Driving, Turn Around Immediately, CDC Says.
51 | Washington
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
50 | Rhode Island
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
49 | New Hampshire
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
48 | Nevada
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
47 | Nebraska
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
46 | Maryland
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
45 | Maine
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
44 | Hawaii
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
43 | Washington D.C.
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
RELATED: Never Go in a Lake If You See This One Thing, Local Officials Warn.
42 | Delaware
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
41 | Alaska
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
40 | Idaho
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
39 | Connecticut
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 0
38 | West Virginia
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 1
37 | Vermont
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 1
36 | Puerto Rico
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 1
35 | Oregon
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 1
34 | Oklahoma
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 1
32 | Virginia
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 2
31 | South Dakota
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 2
30 | Montana
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 2
29 | Minnesota
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 2
28 | Massachusetts
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 2
26 | New Mexico
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 3
25 | Kansas
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 3
24 | Indiana
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 3
23 | Tennessee
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 4
21 | Illinois
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 4
20 | Wisconsin
Shutterstock/Tony SavinoNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 5
19 | South Carolina
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 5
17 | Mississippi
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 5
16 | Michigan
Shutterstock / Paul Brady PhotographyNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 5
15 | California
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 5
14 | Utah
Shutterstock/Jacob BoomsmaNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 6
13 | Ohio
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 6
12 | New York
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 6
11 | Arkansas
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 6
10 | Georgia
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 7
9 | Louisiana
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 8
8 | Pennsylvania
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 9
7 | Missouri
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 10
6 | Colorado
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 10
5 | North Carolina
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 12
4 | Arizona
ShutterstockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 12
2 | Texas
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 22
1 | Florida
iStockNumber of lightning deaths from 2011-2020: 49
RELATED: If You See This at the Beach, Don't Go in the Water, Experts Warn.
