Thunderstorm Safety and Preparedness

Lightning Deaths In US Continue Downward Trend

At a Glance

New data shows a continued decline in lightning deaths.
Florida led the nation with the highest number of lightning deaths in 2023.
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro had the most lightning strikes of any location in the U.S.

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Thirteen people were killed by lightning in the U.S. in 2023, one of the lowest numbers in the past 20 years.

The number is below the 10-year average, according to the latest annual report from the National Lightning Safety Council.

At the same time, lightning activity in the U.S. was above average, based on records tracked by weather data company Vaisala Xweather.

What the numbers show:

-Florida had the most deaths with four, while Texas reported two. These states each reported one: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky.

-Over the past decade, an average of 21 people in the U.S. were killed by lightning each year. Around 200 were injured each year.

-Florida’s Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area recorded more than 120,000 lightning strikes in 2023. That’s more than any other location in the country.

-In all, more than 240 million lightning strikes or flashes were recorded across the country last year. The number worldwide was in excess of 2 billion.

Weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman adds:

-While one death is too many, and more suffer sometimes debilitating injuries from lightning than are killed, 2023 marked the fourth consecutive year U.S. lightning deaths were fewer than 20.

-In the early 1970s, it was typical to have more than 100 deaths in the U.S. from lightning each year. And prior to the mid-1950s, at least a couple hundred lightning deaths would occur.

-So this relatively low death toll in recent decades is a testament to technology, including lightning detection, improved forecasting and increased awareness.

AMARILLO, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 27: Emailin Montilla #45 of the Amarillo Sod Poodles pitches as lightning strikes to the east during the Texas League Championship game against the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at HODGETOWN in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) — Emailin Montilla of the Amarillo Sod Poodles pitches as lightning strikes to the east during the Texas League Championship game against the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Amarillo, Texas.
(John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

How to stay safe:

-Check the weather forecast before outdoor activities, especially when storms are a possibility. Pay attention to conditions outside and if you hear thunder, stay indoors or get indoors.

-The safest place to be in a thunderstorm is inside a fully enclosed, substantial building such as a home or place of business, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-The National Weather Service notes that no place outdoors is safe in a thunderstorm. If you can't get into a substantial building, a vehicle with a hard top and the windows rolled up is your best option.

-If you're stuck outside with no shelter from the storm, the NWS says you can reduce your risk slightly by staying in a low area, staying away from trees or other tall objects and avoiding contact with water. Groups of people should split up to avoid current traveling from one person to another in the event of a strike.

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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