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According to the , there were 13 direct lightning fatalities in 2023, compared to 19 in 2022. On average, based on data from 2014 to 2023, 23 people die each year from lightning strikes in the United States.

Lightning Fatalities By State, 2023

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Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.

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Homeowners insurance losses

The number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowners insurance claims increased in 2023 over 2022, but is still less than the average annual number of claims between 2017-2022.

In 2023, U.S. lightning–caused claims increased by 13.8 percent to 70,787 (from 62,189 in 2022), with numbers from the top ten claim states contributing to more than half of the total. National claim value increased 30.5 percent (from $950 million) to $1.2 billion. While the national average cost per claim was $17,513, the average was $18,090 in California.

For more information on lightning, please see .