Facts + Statistics: Lightning

In 2020 there were 17 direct lightning fatalities, compared with 20 in 2019, according to the National Weather Service. From 2010 to 2019 on average, 26 people died each year from lightning strikes in the United States.

Florida and Texas were tied for the most lightning deaths in 2020 with three deaths, followed by two in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, according to statistics from National Weather Service. California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Montana and South Carolina each reported one lightning death. For more information on lightning claims and payouts, see the Homeowners Claims section.

Lightning Fatalities By State, 2020

light_fatalities_by_state_2020.gif

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

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Homeowners insurance losses

For the fourth consecutive year, the number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowners insurance claims decreased in 2020 yet the average cost of those claims more than doubled since 2017, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

The number of lightning caused claims fell 6.9 percent to 71,551 claims in 2020 from 76,860 in 2019, while the value of those claims soared 124.6 percent from $920.1 million in 2019 to $2.1 billion in 2020. Lightning-related homeowners insurance claim costs nationally rose dramatically due to a series of lightning strikes across Northern California in 2020, according to the Triple-I. The average cost per lightning claim in California was $217,555 last year while the national average was $28,885 in 2020, up 141.3 percent from $11,971 in 2019.

Homeowners Insurance Claims And Payout for Lightning Losses, 2017-2020

Year	Value of claims ($ millions)	Number of claims	Average cost per claim
2017	$916.6	85,020	$10,781
2018	908.9	77,898	11,668
2019	920.1	76,860	11,971
2020	2,066.7	71,551	28,885
Percent change
2019-2020	124.6%	-6.9%	141.3%
2017-2020	125.5	-15.8	167.9

Source: Insurance Information Institute.

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Top 10 States For Homeowners Insurance Lightning Losses By Number Of Claims, 2020

Rank	State	Number of claims	Average cost per claim	Value of claims ($ millions)
1	Florida	6,756	$21,953	$148.3
2	Georgia	4,686	9,821	46.0
3	Texas	4,675	16,847	78.8
4	California	4,233	217,555	920.9
5	North Carolina	2,898	13,283	38.5
6	New York	2,791	16,533	46.1
7	Louisiana	2,757	8,475	23.4
8	Alabama	2,741	11,334	31.1
9	Pennsylvania	2,378	14,724	35.0
10	Illinois	2,247	10,312	23.2
	Total, top 10	36,162	$38,473	$1,391.3
	Other states	35,389	19,087	675.5
	Total U.S.	71,551	$28,885	$2,066.7

Source: Insurance Information Institute.

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Convective Weather Events, Fatalities, Injuries And Damage, 2019 (1)

Convective weather events	Fatalities	Injuries	Property damage ($ millions)	Crop damage ($ millions)	Total damage ($ millions)
Lightning	20	100	$41.15	$0.01	$41.16
Tornado	42	537	3,102.49	5.67	3,108.16
Thunderstorm, wind	38	202	173.04	14.63	187.67
Hail	0	1	177.66	19.27	196.93
Total	100	840	$3,494.34	$39.58	$3,533.92

(1) Includes the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

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

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Lightning fires in residential vs. non-residential properties

From 2007 to 2011 (latest data available) local U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 22,600 fires per year that were started by lighting, according to an analysis by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These fires caused an average of nine civilian deaths and $451 million in direct property damage per year, according to the NFPA. Home fires accounted for 19 percent of the lightning fires, fires in non-residential structures, including businesses and other non-residential properties, accounted for 7 percent; vehicle fires accounted for 1 percent. The remaining 73 percent were in outdoor and unclassified properties.

Lightning fires in non-residential properties caused an average of $108 million in direct property damage each year from 2007 to 2011, according to the survey. The average annual damage in non-residential properties includes:

$28 million in storage facilities
$22 million in places of assembly, such as houses of worship and restaurants
$19 million in nonhome residential properties such as hotels and motels
$15 million in mercantile and business properties such as offices, specialty shops and department stores
$15 million in industrial and manufacturing facilities
$3 million in outside properties
$3 million in educational and healthcare facilities
$3 million in miscellaneous properties