Lightning Dangers

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017

The National Weather Service publication Storm Data recorded a total of 4,049 deaths from lightning strikes from the year 1959 through 2014. According to the National Weather Service, lightning caused 26 fatalities in the U.S. in 2014.

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—2014

State	Deaths	Rank
Alabama	112	13
Alaska	0	51
Arizona	80	23
Arkansas	125	11
California	33	23
Colorado	143	5
Connecticut	17	41
Delaware	15	43
D.C.	5	49
Florida	477	1
Georgia	113	12
Hawaii	0	52
Idaho	27	37
Illinois	104	16
Indiana	90	22
Iowa	72	25
Kansas	66	26
Kentucky	97	20
Louisiana	142	6
Maine	27	38
Maryland	126	10
Massachusetts	32	34
Michigan	108	14
Minnesota	64	28
Mississippi	106	15
Missouri	99	19
Montana	29	35
Nebraska	45	31
Nevada	7	48
New Hampshire	8	46
New Jersey	74	24
New Mexico	91	21
New York	139	8
North Carolina	194	3
North Dakota	12	44
Ohio	146	4
Oklahoma	100	17
Oregon	9	45
Pennsylvania	133	9
Puerto Rico	33	33
Rhode Island	8	47
South Carolina	100	18
South Dakota	24	40
Tennessee	140	7
Texas	218	2
Utah	53	30
Vermont	16	42
Virginia	66	27
Washington	5	50
West Virginia	26	39
Wisconsin	64	29
Wyoming	29	36

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

Reported Lightning Deaths Per Capita, 1959—2014

State	Death rate per million people 1959–2014	Rank
Wyoming	1.21	1
New Mexico	1.16	2
Arkansas	0.98	3
Colorado	0.82	4
Florida	0.77	5
Mississippi	0.75	6
Montana	0.65	7
Louisiana	0.63	8
South Dakota	0.61	9
Oklahoma	0.60	10
Utah	0.59	11
Vermont	0.55	12
South Carolina	0.55	13
North Carolina	0.54	14
Tennessee	0.53	15
Alabama	0.51	16
Nebraska	0.51	17
Maryland	0.51	18
Idaho	0.49	19
Kansas	0.48	20
Kentucky	0.47	21
Iowa	0.45	22
Arizona	0.43	23
Maine	0.42	24
Delaware	0.42	25
Missouri	0.35	26
North Dakota	0.34	27
Georgia	0.33	28
Indiana	0.29	29
Wisconsin	0.29	30
Minnesota	0.27	31
West Virginia	0.25	32
Texas	0.25	33
Ohio	0.24	34
Puerto Rico	0.21	35
Michigan	0.21	36
Virginia	0.21	37
Pennsylvania	0.20	38
New Jersey	0.18	39
Illinois	0.16	40
New Hampshire	0.15	41
Rhode Island	0.15	42
D.C.	0.14	43
New York	0.14	44
Nevada	0.11	45
Connecticut	0.10	46
Massachusetts	0.10	47
Oregon	0.06	48
California	0.02	49
Washington	0.02	50
Alaska	0	51
Hawaii	0	52

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

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