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The 5 U.S. States Where You’re Most Likely to Be Killed by Lightning

Just another reason to avoid Florida.

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The United States recorded its first lightning fatality of 2026 last week. Storm season is officially here, and if you live in Florida, you already know what that means.

Play Casino analyzed lightning death data by state over the past 20 years, drawing on the National Weather Service and the National Lightning Safety Council. If you’ve ever watched a Florida sky go from blue to apocalyptic in the time it takes to finish a beer, none of what follows will surprise you. The numbers, though, are still something.

Florida recorded 97 confirmed lightning deaths between 2006 and 2025. The state in second place didn’t break 50. This isn’t a streak of bad luck—Florida is basically engineered for it. Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes collide over a peninsula baking in heat and wrapped in humidity, and the result is very predictable and regular thunderstorms.

The Total Lightning Deaths From 2006–2025, Ranked by States

North Carolina (23 deaths)

The Florida Department........

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