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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 increased in 2025 over 2024 and is slightly below the five-year average.

In 2025, U.S. lightning–caused claims increased by 11.6 percent to 61,986 (from 55,537 in 2024), with numbers from the top ten claim states contributing to more than half of the total. National claim increased 59.4 percent (from $1.04 billion) to $1.65 billion. While the national average cost per claim was $26,616, the average was $60,382 in Texas.

Homeowners Insurance Claims And Payout for Lightning Losses, 2017-2025

 

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
2021 1,313.1 60,851 21,578
2022 950.2 62,189 15,280
2023 1,239.7 70,787 17,513
2024 1,035.3 55,537 18,641
2025 1,649.8 61,986 26,616
Percent change      
2025 - 2024 59.4% 11.6% 42.8%
2025 - 2017 80.0% -27.1% 146.9%

Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm®.

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Top 10 States For Homeowners Insurance Lightning Losses By Number Of Claims, 2025

 

Rank State Value of
claims		 Number of
claims		 Average cost
per claim
1 Florida $186.0 5,167 $35,993
2 California 156.5 4,211 37,159
3 Texas 252.9 4,188 60,382
4 Georgia 87.6 4,007 21,871
5 Alabama 56.7 2,981 19,025
6 North Carolina 49.5 2,844 17,421
7 Louisiana 45.2 2,311 19,538
8 Pennsylvania 33.4 2,177 15,355
9 Virginia 39.9 2,166 18,399
10 New York 45.2 2,004 22,577
  Top 10 States $952.9 32,056 $29,726

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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