Safety
National Program
Lightning is a major cause of storm related deaths in the U.S. A lightning strike can result in a cardiac arrest (heart stopping) at the time of the injury, although some victims may appear to have a delayed death a few days later if they are resuscitated but have suffered irreversible brain damage.
According to the NWS Storm Data, over the last 30 years (1989-2018) the U.S. has averaged 43 reported lightning fatalities per year. Only about 10% of people who are struck by lightning are killed, leaving 90% with various degrees of disability. More recently, in the last 10 years (2009-2018), the U.S. has averaged 27 lightning fatalities.
Odds of Becoming a Lightning Victim
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Estimated U.S. population as of 2019 |
330,000,000 |
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Average Number of Deaths Reported |
27 |
Estimated number of Injuries |
243 |
270 |
Odds of being struck in a given year (estimated total deaths + estimated injuries) |
1/1,222,000 |
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Odds of being struck in your lifetime (Est. 80 years) |
1/15,300 |
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Odds you will be affected by someone struck (10 people for every 1 struck) |
1/1,530 |
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Safety
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Silver Spring, MD 20910
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