Austin (KXAN) – Since 2006, nearly 500 people have died in lightning strikes in the US, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
During that time, only five states have not recorded the deaths of lightning bolts in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Washington.
Fatal lightning strikes are the most common in Florida, with 94 deaths reported since 2006. Texas ranked second in the nation, with 42 deaths ahead of Colorado (25), Alabama (23) and North Carolina (22).
Who is most likely to be killed by lightning?
Since the mid-2000s, the number of deaths per year has been declining. In both 2006 and 2007, more than 40 deaths were seen nationwide compared to less than 20 each year since 2020. Men account for 80% of all lightning strikes since 2006.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, fishing, beaches, boating and camping are the activities that contributed most to the fatal numbers of lightning bolts in the country.
About 21% of all lightning strikes since 2006 were people in their 20s. More than 80 people in their 30s were 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 six-year-old Texan teenager attacked in Bosque County in May 2023, and a seven-year-old girl in Brian, Texas, who was killed in June 2024.
When is fatal lightning strikes most common?
Fatal lightning strikes are most common in summer months. Since 2006, more than 150 deaths have been reported in July, with about a third of all deaths reported.
More than 100 deaths were reported in June, and 91 in August. November is the only month in the US that has never been reported to have a lightning death
More than 50 deaths are reported each week. There is a slight distortion of death towards the end of the week, and Saturday is the most common day of a fatal strike. More than 80 deaths have been reported on Saturday since 2006.
According to the National Lightning Safety Council, there is a 1 in 1,509,000 chance of being hit by Lightning in a given year. Your chances of being hit in your lifetime are much shorter at 18,864.
