Lightning is a severe weather event which can strike at any time. During the development of a thunderstorm, several states rank as the most dangerous for lightning deaths and injuries. Information is courtesy of the NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS SR-193.
1. Florida
1523 Deaths and Injuries.Florida was known as the "Lightning Capital of the World" (NASA recently released a study that pegged Rwanda, Africa as the true lightning capital of the world.) With more deaths and injuries than all other states combined, Florida ranks as the #1 target for public safety and lightning awareness campaigns. Follow the link above to track current Florida lightning conditions.
2. Michigan
732 Deaths and Injuries.The Michigan Lightning Program saves lives through education and training. If you live in Michigan, this is the location to learn lightning safety in your local area.
3. Pennsylvania
644 Deaths and Injuries.Find the county most likely to have a lightning strike and what you can do to protect yourself during a Pennsylvania thunderstorm.
4. North Carolina
629 Deaths and Injuries.Check the National Weather Service to see if your area has any storm watches or warnings.
5. New York
577 Deaths and Injuries.With the Empire State Building receiving over 100 lightning strikes per year, the tall buildings in New York City make lightning a hazard.
7. Texas
498 Deaths and Injuries.Learn ways to keep safe in Texas by location. Where is Texas Lightning most likely to strike?
8. Tennessee
473 Deaths and Injuries.Find live data on current lightning strike reports in Tennessee.
9. Georgia
410 Deaths and Injuries.Georgia lightning is a dangerous event. Find out when and where to get out of a storm. Remember, lightning can strike up to 15 miles away from a storm.
10. Colorado
394 Deaths and Injuries.Read the Colorado Lightning Resource page from the National Weather Service.