Lightning Facts

• Lightning is the most dangerous and most frequent weather hazard experienced.
• Damage from lightning to home electronics usually occurs from an indirect strike to utility poles or wires nearby entering the building through power, phone and TV lines. 
• Lightning strikes the earth 25 million times a year, with an estimated $5 billion in annual loss.
• Lightning is not confined to thunderstorms.  it's been seen in volcanic eruptions, intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms and in large hurricanes.
• Lightning is the second highest storm-related killer in the United States.
• Florida has the highest frequency of lightning in the United States with over 300,000 strikes per year.
• Global warming and climate change will increase lightning activity according to NASA.  

Sources: Lightning Protection Institute at www.lightning.org; National Severe Storms Laboratory at www.nssl.noaa.gov; Assurant Group® Statistics; National Weather Service.