Here's the number of people who have died by lightning strike in the U.S. over the past decade.
Here's where people have been killed by lightning by state this year.
The number of lightning fatalities in the U.S. has declined since 2000.
The shoreline reflects a lightning bolt as an afternoon thunderstorm moves over Daytona Beach. The National Lightning Safety Council encourages people to head indoors after hearing the first clap of thunder.[News-Journal/Nigel Cook]

The nation matched a grim record for lightning strike deaths in September.

Five lightning strike-related fatalities were reported, the most in any September since 2013, said John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council and a retired National Weather Service meteorologist. That also matches the number of people who died in September 2007.

The lightning death toll for the year now stands at 19. That's about average for lightning fatalities over the last 10 years, Jensenius said. The nation set a new low in 2021, with just 11 lightning-related deaths.

Lightning strikes claim three lives

Three men were struck and killed by lightning on Sept. 22.

In Wisconsin, a search was launched for Adam Zirbel, a forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, when he didn't return from working in a trail area that day. Authorities reported finding Zirbel, 48, at 7:40 p.m. in a wooded area in Kewaskum, in Washington County, Wisconsin, where a lightning strike had been documented at 10:15 a.m., according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Zirbel dedicated his life to service as "a father, husband, community leader, and DNR forester," said the county's sheriff, Martin R. Schulteis. "He died performing a civil service to the people of Wisconsin, and for that, we are all forever grateful for his service."

Zirbel's death was the first lightning fatality in Wisconsin since 2021, and it was the state's 11th lightning fatality since 2006, the National Weather Service said.

In South Florida on Sept. 24, law enforcement officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission located two men, ages 38 and 31, who had not returned from a Sept. 22 hunting trip, according to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

Two hunting dogs with the men were also killed by the apparent lightning strike, the sheriff's office said.

The hunters' deaths make three in Florida this year, Jensenius said. Florida leads the nation in lightning fatalities, with 96 since 2006.

The South Florida men were the second pair of hunters to die in a lightning-related event in September.

Andrew Porter, 25, from Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko, 25, from Salt Lake City, Utah, were struck and killed while hunting elk in the Colorado wilderness, reported the Coloradoan. The men were reported missing Sept. 13 after last making contact with family members on Sept. 11. Their bodies were found under a large tree Sept. 18.

Florida leads the nation in lightning deaths with 3 fatalities this year, Jensenius said. The state has reported 96 lightning fatalities since 2006.

Lightning safety tips

In Florida, Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman reiterated some of the most important advice for people who are going to be outdoors. "Our area gets more lightning than just about anywhere else in the country, especially in the summer," Blackman said in a news release.

"If you can hear thunder, that means lightning is close enough to strike, even if the sky doesn’t look too bad yet," Blackman said. "It is essential to pay attention and plan ahead when storms approach."

The best place to be during a storm is always indoors. If you’re caught outside and hear thunder, get inside a solid building or a car with a hard roof right away. Don’t stand under trees, in open fields, or go near bodies of water, as those spots are lightning magnets.

Inside, stay away from windows, skip the corded electronics, and hold off on taking a shower until the storm passes. These small steps can go a long way in keeping you safe.

The Lightning Safety Council urges people to check the weather ahead of time when they plan to be outside to be aware of the potential risk from lightning.

How do people get struck by lightning?

In one of four ways:

  • Direct strike: The person becomes a part of the main discharge channel, usually when outside in an open area.
  • Side flash: Lightning strikes a tall object and part of the current jumps from the object to the victim − for example, when a person is struck while standing under a tree.
  • Ground current: Lightning enters the body at the point closest to a strike, travels through the body and leaves at the contact point farthest away from the initial strike. This causes most deaths and injuries.
  • Conduction: This is the cause of most indoor lightning deaths and injuries. Lightning travels through wires and other metal surfaces.

Contributing: Miles Blumhardt with the Coloradoan, and Maia Pandey with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, both part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 dead in September lightning strikes, matching a grim milestone

Reporting by Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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