Lightning Casualties and Damages in the United States from 1959 to 1994

Abstract Lightning-caused fatalities, injuries, and damage reports for the United States are listed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publication Storm Data. Previously published studies of lightning casualties and damages in the United States covered only portions of the period since Storm Data began publication in 1959, did not weight by population, or did not present complete information with respect to time of year and day. Therefore, an analysis was made of all 3239 deaths, 9818 injuries, and 19 814 property damage reports in Storm Data due to lightning from 1959 to 1994. This paper depicts lightning casualties (deaths and injuries combined) and damage reports stratified by state and region of the United States, decade, population, time of year and day, and all other information in Storm Data. Florida had the most deaths (345) and injuries (1178) from lightning, and Pennsylvania had the most damage reports (1441). A rate of one fatality per 86 000 cloud-to-ground flashes is estim...

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