Most at Risk: Where and When
Given the dominance of warm, humid air for longer periods of time, U.S. thunderstorms are most frequent in the South, and in particular, Florida, the "Sunshine State". The graphic above provides the proof by displaying the number of thunderstorm days across the country each year. As you can see, parts of the Gulf Coast average 60 to 80 thunderstorm days each year. In Florida, there are 80+ thunderstorm days on average each year.
|Based on 2001-2010 averages|
|- Odds of being struck in a given year:||1 in 1,000,000|
|- Odds of being struck in your lifetime:||1 in 10,000|
Another "hot spot" for thunderstorms particularly in the summer months are the Rocky Mountains. These can also be almost a daily occurrence, as warm, moist air converges over the heated slopes.
Given summer's increased frequency and areal coverage of thunderstorms, as well as the fact more people are outdoors in the warmer months, it is no surprise that 75% of U.S. lightning deaths occur in June, July, and August.
Given its population density, throngs of vacationers enjoying outdoor activities, and thunderstorm frequency, it should also come as no surprise that Florida typically leads the nation in lightning deaths.
Next, we have an inside look at the science behind lightning and how it forms.