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Facts + Statistics: Lightning

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According to the National Weather Center and National Lightning Safety Council there were 12 direct lightning fatalities in 2024, compared to 14 in 2023. On average, based on data from 2015 to 2024, 20 people die each year from lightning strikes in the United States.

Lightning Fatalities By State, 2024

 

lightning_fatalities_by_state_2024.gif

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

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Homeowners insurance losses

The number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowners insurance claims decreased in 2024 over 2023 and is the lowest annual number of claims since before 2017.

In 2024, U.S. lightning–caused claims decreased by 21.5 percent to 55,537 (from 70,787 in 2023), with numbers from the top ten claim states contributing to more than half of the total. National claim decreased 16.5 percent (from $1.24 billion) to $1.04 billion. While the national average cost per claim was $18,641, the average was $38,558 in Texas.

Homeowners Insurance Claims And Payout for Lightning Losses, 2017-2024

 

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
2024 1,035.28  55,537 18,641
Percent change      
2024 - 2023 -16.5% -21.5% 6.4%
2024 - 2017 12.9% -34.7% 72.9%

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

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Top 10 States For Homeowners Insurance Lightning Losses By Number Of Claims, 2024

 

Rank State Value of
claims		 Number of
claims		 Average cost
per claim
1 Florida $113,218,813 4,780 $23,686
2 Texas 168,461,044 4,369 38,558
3 California 75,028,400 4,005 18,734
4 Georgia 48,546,426 3,376 14,380
5 North Carolina 30,299,433 2,574 11,771
6 Louisiana 34,306,009 2,283 15,027
7 Alabama 36,617,416 2,175 16,836
8 New York 34,109,020 1,937 17,609
9 Pennsylvania 15,777,521 1,792 8,804
10 Illinois 24,068,318 1,626 14,802
  Top 10 States $580,432,401 28,917 $20,072

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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