Total lightning detected in the U.S. in 2019. Higher concentrations of lightning are shaded red, pink, purple and blue.Florida remained the lightning capital of the United States in 2019, followed by states from the Gulf Coast to the Plains and Midwest.
The Sunshine State had 228 lightning events per square mile last year, according to a report from Finland-based Vaisala. That's the highest density of lightning, including lightning flashes between clouds and the more dangerous cloud-to-ground strikes, for any state in the U.S.
The other states making the top five most lightning-prone states in 2019 were: Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas and Louisiana. Those states stand out in the map above, which depicts in blue the areas with a higher density of lightning events in the U.S. last year.
Overall, the U.S. had nearly a quarter of a billion lightning events in 2019, Vaisala said.
Much of the lightning occurs from late spring through summer, when thunderstorms are most abundant across the country. That means it can be a dangerous time of year.
To draw attention to those dangers, the National Lightning Safety Council has declared June 21-27 as Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
Lightning poses the most danger to those performing outdoor activities, which are more common in summer.
(MORE: Summer's Weather Hazards)
Cloud-to-ground lightning killed an average of 26 people annually in the U.S. over the past 10 years, according to NOAA. Hundreds of more people are injured by lighting each year.
Four lighting-related deaths have already happened this year. Those occurred in Colorado, Florida, South Carolina and Texas.
The best way to stay safe is to stop what you are doing and head indoors when you hear thunder because that means lightning is nearby.
Lightning can also cause fires when structures are hit. An example of this happened on Tuesday just north of Dallas-Fort Worth in Denton County, Texas. Several houses caught fire and suffered significant damage, according to KDFW.
Local fire departments responded to an average of 22,600 lightning-caused fires annually from 2007 to 2011, according to the National Fire Protection Association. About 19 percent of those were house fires.
Lightning can also spark wildfires, and if those fires burn out of control in populated areas, they can damage homes and other structures.
Multiple wildfires developed north of Reno, Nevada, on Tuesday because of lightning strikes, according to KTVN.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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