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Facts + Statistics: Lightning

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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


light_fatalities_by_state_2023.gif

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 2023 over 2022, but is still less than the average annual number of claims between 2017-2022.

In 2023, U.S. lightning–caused claims increased by 13.8 percent to 70,787 (from 62,189 in 2022), with numbers from the top ten claim states contributing to more than half of the total. National claim value increased 30.5 percent (from $950 million) to $1.2 billion. While the national average cost per claim was $17,513, the average was $18,090 in California.

Homeowners Insurance Claims And Payout for Lightning Losses, 2017-2023


Year Value of claims
($ millions)		 Number of
claims		 Average cost
per claim
2017 $916.61       85,020  $10,781
2018 908.93       77,898  11,668
2019 920.05       76,860 11,971
2020 2,066.74       71,551  28,885
2021 1,313.06       60,851  21,578
2022 950.22       62,189  15,280
2023 1,239.72       70,787  17,513
Percent change      
2023-2022 30.5% 13.8% 14.6%
2023-2017 35.3% -16.7% 62.4%

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

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Top 10 States For Homeowners Insurance Lightning Losses By Number Of Claims, 2023


Rank State Value of
claims		 Number of
claims		 Average cost
per claim
1 Florida $104,544,285 6,003 $17,416
2 Georgia 87,110,761 5,161 16,877
3 Texas 194,288,888 4,664 41,654
4 California 83,367,791 4,608 18,090
5 Alabama 54,981,756 3,508 15,673
6 Louisiana 35,167,375 3,050 11,529
7 North Carolina 35,544,243 2,881 12,337
8 New York 50,785,848 2,458 20,659
9 Pennsylvania 27,219,044 2,214 12,296
10 Tennessee 39,792,330 2,136 18,630
  Top 10 States $712,802,320 36,684 19,431

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

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

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