Lightning Dangers

The National Weather Service publication Storm Data recorded a total of 9,045 deaths from lightning strikes between 1940 and 2006. According to the National Weather Service, lightning causes an average of 80 deaths and 300 injuries in the United States each year.

During a thunderstorm, avoid open spaces, trees, telephone booths, and ballparks. The safest place to be is in a building, preferably one with a lightning rod. The rod offers protection by intercepting lightning—an electrical charge—and transmitting its current into the ground. The other safe place is a car with the windows rolled up, as long as you don't touch any of the metal parts. If lightning strikes, the car's metal body will conduct the charge down to the ground—contrary to popular belief, the rubber of the wheels offers no protection.

Reported Lightning Deaths Per State, 1959–2003

Rank	State	Number of deaths 1959-2003	Number of deaths 1990-2003
1.	Florida	425	126
2.	Texas	195	52
3.	North Carolina	181	29
4.	Ohio	136	31
5.	New York	134	15
6.	Tennessee	133	16
7.	Louisiana	132	23
8.	Colorado	123	39
8.	Maryland	123	12
10.	Pennsylvania	121	25
11.	Arkansas	117	13
12.	Alabama	101	24
12.	Michigan	101	13
14.	Oklahoma	98	17
15.	Illinois	97	24
15.	Mississippi	97	14
17.	Georgia	95	23
18.	South Carolina	89	19
19.	New Mexico	88	14
20.	Kentucky	87	12
21.	Missouri	86	12
22.	Indiana	85	20
23.	Iowa	70	9
24.	Arizona	66	17
25.	Virginia	62	19
26.	Kansas	61	7
26.	New Jersey	61	7
28.	Minnesota	59	8
29.	Wisconsin	56	12
30.	Utah	47	22
31.	Nebraska	44	8
32.	Puerto Rico	33	5
33.	Wyoming	27	14
34.	Idaho	26	7
34.	Montana	26	7
34.	Massachusetts	26	2
37.	California	25	8
37.	West Virginia	25	7
39.	Maine	23	6
39.	South Dakota	23	5
41.	Delaware	15	4
41.	Connecticut	15	2
43.	Vermont	14	3
44.	North Dakota	12	1
45.	New Hampshire	8	2
45.	Oregon	8	2
47.	Nevada	6	2
48.	Washington	5	4
48.	D.C.	5	1
50.	Rhode Island	4	0
51.	Alaska	0	0
51.	Hawaii	0	0

Source: National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Reported Lightning Deaths Per Capita, 1959–2003

Rank	State	Death rate per million people 1959-2003	Death rate per million people 1990-2003
1.	New Mexico	1.48	0.55
2.	Wyoming	1.44	2.02
3.	Arkansas	1.18	0.35
4.	Colorado	0.95	0.65
5.	Florida	0.94	0.56
6.	Mississippi	0.87	0.35
7.	Montana	0.75	0.55
7.	Oklahoma	0.75	0.35
9.	Louisiana	0.74	0.37
10.	South Dakota	0.73	0.47
11.	Utah	0.71	0.70
12.	North Carolina	0.67	0.26
13.	Tennessee	0.65	0.20
14.	Maryland	0.64	0.16
15.	Nebraska	0.63	0.33
15.	South Carolina	0.63	0.34
17.	Idaho	0.62	0.39
17.	Vermont	0.62	0.35
19.	Alabama	0.59	0.38
20.	Kansas	0.57	0.19
21.	Delaware	0.55	0.04
21.	Iowa	0.55	0.22
21.	Kentucky	0.55	0.21
24.	Arizona	0.50	0.24
25.	Maine	0.46	0.34
26.	North Dakota	0.42	0.11
27.	Missouri	0.39	0.15
28.	Georgia	0.37	0.20
29.	Indiana	0.35	0.24
30.	Wisconsin	0.34	0.16
31.	Minnesota	0.32	0.12
32.	Texas	0.30	0.18
32.	West Virginia	0.30	0.28
34.	Ohio	0.28	0.20
34.	Puerto Rico	0.28	0.09
36.	Michigan	0.25	0.09
36.	Virginia	0.25	0.19
38.	Pennsylvania	0.23	0.14
39.	Illinois	0.19	0.14
39.	New Hampshire	0.19	0.12
41.	New Jersey	0.18	0.06
42.	D.C.	0.17	0.12
42.	New York	0.17	0.06
44.	Nevada	0.14	0.07
45.	Connecticut	0.11	0.04
46.	Massachusetts	0.10	0.02
47.	Rhode Island	0.09	0.00
48.	Oregon	0.07	0.04
49.	Washington	0.03	0.05
50.	California	0.02	0.02
51.	Alaska	0.00	0.00
51.	Hawaii	0.00	0.00

Source: National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

2005 Hurricane Season

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Lightning Deaths 1998-2007

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Lightning Dangers

Reported Lightning Deaths Per State, 1959–2003

Reported Lightning Deaths Per Capita, 1959–2003

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