Where and when are lightning deaths most common?
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Since 2006, almost 500 people have been killed by lightning strikes in the U.S., according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
Only five states have not recorded a lightning death during that time: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Washington.
Fatal lightning strikes are most common in Florida, with 91 deaths reported since 2006. Texas ranks second nationwide, with 40 deaths, ahead of Colorado (25), Alabama (23) and North Carolina (21).
When adjusted for population, Wyoming has the highest fatality rate, with 5.13 lightning deaths for every 1 million people. Alabama is second, with a rate of 4.50 per 1 million, ahead of the District of Columbia (4.42), Montana (4.41) and Colorado (4.25).
Who is most likely to get killed by lightning?
The number of deaths per year has fallen since the mid 2000s. Both 2006 and 2007 saw more than 40 deaths nationwide, compared to fewer than 20 each year since 2020. Men account for 80% of all lightning deaths since 2006.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, fishing, beaching, boating and camping are the activities that have contributed the most to the nation’s lightning fatality count.
About 20% of all lightning deaths since 2006 have been people in their 20s. More than 80 people in their 30s have been killed by lightning strikes, accounting for 17% of all deaths.
Since 2006, 13 children under the age of 10 have been killed by lightning, including a 6-year-old Texas boy who was struck in Bosque County in May 2023 and a 7-year-old girl in Bryan, Texas, who was killed in June 2024.
When are fatal lightning strikes most common?
Deadly lightning strikes are most common in the summer months. Since 2006, more than 150 fatalities have been reported in July, about a third of all deaths.
More than 100 deaths have been reported in June, along with 90 in August. November is the only month without a single lightning death reported in the U.S.
More than 50 deaths have been reported each day of the week. There is a slight skewing of deaths toward the end of the week, with Saturday being the most common day of deadly strikes. More than 80 deaths have been reported on a Saturday since 2006.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, your odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are 1 in 1,509,000. The odds of being struck in your lifetime are much shorter, at 1 in 18,864.
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