Lightning Safety and Tips

Lightning is the most dangerous and frequently encountered weather hazard that most people experience each year. It is the second most frequent killer in the United States with nearly 100 deaths and 500 injuries each year.

Lightning Quick Facts

  • 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occur in the United States each year
  • The air within a lightning strike can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Lightning can heat its path five times hotter than the surface of the sun
  • One ground lightning stroke can generate between 100 million and 1 billion volts of electricity