Facts + Statistics: Lightning

According to the National Weather Service, there were 13 direct lightning fatalities in 2023, compared to 19 in 2022. On average, based on data from 2014 to 2023, 23 people die each year from lightning strikes in the United States.

Lightning Fatalities By State, 2023

 

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Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.

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Homeowners insurance losses

The number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowners insurance claims increased in 2022 over 2021, but is still less than the annual number of claims between 2017-2020.

In 2022, U.S. lightning–caused claims increased by 2.2 percent to 62,189 (from 60,851 in 2021), with numbers from the top ten claim states contributing to about half of the total. National claim value decreased 27.6 percent (from $1.3 billion) to $950 million. While the national average cost per claim was $15,280, the average was $36,319 in California.

For more information on lightning, please see The Lightning Protection Institute.