Florida unseated as the lightning capital of America?
The US may have a new lightning capital, data says
By
Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Apr 27, 2021 11:35 AM EDT
|
Updated Apr 30, 2021 6:24 PM EDT
A new report that analyzes data from the past five years found that Oklahoma experienced more lightning activity than Florida.
The United States has a lot of capitals. There is, of course, Washington, D.C., the nation's capital city. Unofficially, Seattle is recognized as the coffee capital of the world, and Chicago has recently claimed the title of candy capital of the world.
For years, Florida has been known as the lightning capital of America, almost to the point where that dubious distinction has been undisputed. However, recently released data from Vaisala, a Finland-based company that collects weather data such as lightning strike frequency, indicates that there may be a new lightning capital of America or, at the very least, Florida's status as the nation's lighting capital is now in dispute.
According to meteorologists at Vaisala, which puts together global lightning detection products and services, Oklahoma and not the Sunshine State recorded the highest lightning flash density per square kilometer during the past five-year stretch, from 2016 to 2020, though the final numbers were extremely close.
Over that span, 83.4 lightning events per square kilometer were recorded in Oklahoma while Florida saw 82.8 lightning events. Only one other state, Louisiana, saw more than 60 such events, according to Vaisala data.
The data may sound clear when comparing the numbers, but there are some nuances in the types of lightning strikes that are factored in -- and that may make it less clear as to which state can lay claim to the unwanted lightning capital title.
Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist and lightning applications manager at Vaisala, told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell that the numbers paint a differing picture of how lightning is impacting each of these states. Vagasky said the company's detection system is capable of recording both cloud-to-ground lightning and in-cloud lightning.
"In Oklahoma, you’re getting a lot more in-cloud lightning, so you see a lot more of the lightning off in the distance," he said. "Whereas in Florida you’re actually getting a little bit more of the cloud-to-ground lightning, which is the more dangerous type of lightning because it can impact people, plants, trees, houses and animals."
While Oklahoma may be able to boast the largest statewide total for lightning strikes, Orange and Seminole counties in Florida are the runaway winners in terms of smaller-scale locations that receive the most hits. According to the data, the neighboring counties both see an annual average of more than 159 lightning strikes per square kilometer.
Florida's longtime reputation as the country's undisputed lightning capital comes from the days when detection systems could only record cloud-to-ground lightning, Vagasky said. But with Vaisala's detection technology, in-cloud strikes can trigger detection anywhere in the world.
Vagasky added the top spot for the most-struck state could go back and forth between Oklahoma and Florida on a year-to-year basis, as trends tend to fluctuate. Looking at long-term trends, he said frequency totals tend to shift between 10 and 15% each year.
All types of lightning are dangerous, and there is a variety of ways in which an individual can be injured or killed by a strike. From direct strikes to ground currents to lesser-known types of lightning called sidewinders and streamers, the overall risk of being struck by lightning is very low. According to the National Weather Service, the odds of being struck are one in 15,300 over the course of a lifetime (defined as 80 years).
And by anywhere, he means anywhere.
“Vaisala owns and operates the global operating data set and we detect lightning pole to pole all around the world," Vagasky said. "A couple years ago we detected lightning just 32 miles away from the North Pole, so that probably woke up Santa’s reindeer at the time."
Around the world, Florida and Oklahoma's density totals are certainly eye-popping for the U.S., but they are dwarfed by the numbers put up by other countries. Singapore, for example, leads the world in lightning strike frequencies, with 126.6 lightning events per square kilometer per year.
Dr. Mary Ann Cooper of the National Lightning Safety Council told AccuWeather that in order to contextualize the lightning strike frequency figures coming from Oklahoma, Florida or Singapore, it's important to understand that safety is the ultimate determinant of lightning's impact on an area.
Cooper is the managing director of the African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLEnet) and a renowned expert in international lightning injuries and injury prevention.
In sub-Saharan countries like Uganda, Cooper said the numbers hardly matter compared to the resources.
"To contextualize it, it's not the lightning flash density so much as to whether someone has a safe place to go to," she said. "The number one thing for saving lives is that there are safe places for people to get to."
In areas like Oklahoma or Singapore, she said it hardly matters what the lightning flash density is since there are substantial buildings that people can get to nearly at all times.
A bolt of lightning strikes beyond the scoreboard of Coors Field during a weather delay before a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, July 13, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Experts at the Lightning Safety Council have worked for years to promote public education of lightning safety. Dr. Cooper said she is particularly encouraged by the fact that 16 countries will be attending its International Lightning Safety Awareness Day program, which also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Runyanya Primary School tragedy.
On June 28, 2011, 18 children were killed and 36 others were hospitalized by a lightning strike at the school in Uganda.
To prevent similar tragedies, Cooper said public education is paramount. In developed countries, nations have done a good job of teaching people rhymes and jingles like "when thunder roars, go indoors," to instruct people to seek shelter in lightning-safe buildings when storms are approaching, she said.
A lightning warning is shown on the scoreboard in Nissan Stadium before a preseason NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
"But when we get into the developing countries, we don’t have either of these," she said of building safety and public education. "They don’t have safe places to go. Ninety percent of sub-Saharan Africa has non-lightning safe homes and businesses, so they’re at risk 24/7/365. The whole family, whether they’re sleeping, working in the field, at the market, studying at school -- they’re at risk. And there’s very little public education in lightning safety, and that’s one of the things that we’re trying to do with ACLEnet."
One of the hindrances the ACLEnet has encountered has come from prevailing mythology in many countries. Cooper said her organization has had to disprove beliefs such as that wearing a certain color can attract lightning strikes or that witches can be hired to call down lightning on enemies.
In some cultures, she said that it is believed that touching an individual who has been struck by lightning can bring down further lightning strikes on them or their family, stopping people from resuscitating strike victims.
There is a tremendous amount of work left to be done, Cooper said, but the spread of public education has to start with continued awareness, for people in all areas, regardless of the lightning frequency.
"As I tell every media outlet I talk to, your interview and your story will save lives. The media are the ones that got the word out," she said. "I could have written 20 medical papers, but how many people are going to read them? You guys have gotten the information out there and people know what they’re supposed to do, even if they can’t quote the exact term or the exact motto, they know what they’re supposed to do."
To stay safe, Dr. Cooper and Vagasky both urged people to take lightning seriously and know where to go for safety.
Not all buildings are lightning-safe and the power of lightning strikes should never be underestimated, they caution.
“Thousands of people around the world are injured and killed by it every year. Lightning heats up the atmosphere to [a temperature] hotter than the surface of the sun," Vagasky said, adding that a lightning bolt packs thousands of times more electricity than the wall outlets that people plug phones or computers into. "Any time there’s thunder in the area, any time you can see lightning nearby, you need to be in a lightning-safe place like a substantial building with plumbing and electrical in the walls, or a fully-enclosed metal vehicle to truly be safe from lightning,” he said.
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News / Severe Weather
Florida unseated as the lightning capital of America?
The US may have a new lightning capital, data says
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Apr 27, 2021 11:35 AM EDT | Updated Apr 30, 2021 6:24 PM EDT
A new report that analyzes data from the past five years found that Oklahoma experienced more lightning activity than Florida.
The United States has a lot of capitals. There is, of course, Washington, D.C., the nation's capital city. Unofficially, Seattle is recognized as the coffee capital of the world, and Chicago has recently claimed the title of candy capital of the world.
For years, Florida has been known as the lightning capital of America, almost to the point where that dubious distinction has been undisputed. However, recently released data from Vaisala, a Finland-based company that collects weather data such as lightning strike frequency, indicates that there may be a new lightning capital of America or, at the very least, Florida's status as the nation's lighting capital is now in dispute.
According to meteorologists at Vaisala, which puts together global lightning detection products and services, Oklahoma and not the Sunshine State recorded the highest lightning flash density per square kilometer during the past five-year stretch, from 2016 to 2020, though the final numbers were extremely close.
Over that span, 83.4 lightning events per square kilometer were recorded in Oklahoma while Florida saw 82.8 lightning events. Only one other state, Louisiana, saw more than 60 such events, according to Vaisala data.
The data may sound clear when comparing the numbers, but there are some nuances in the types of lightning strikes that are factored in -- and that may make it less clear as to which state can lay claim to the unwanted lightning capital title.
Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist and lightning applications manager at Vaisala, told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell that the numbers paint a differing picture of how lightning is impacting each of these states. Vagasky said the company's detection system is capable of recording both cloud-to-ground lightning and in-cloud lightning.
"In Oklahoma, you’re getting a lot more in-cloud lightning, so you see a lot more of the lightning off in the distance," he said. "Whereas in Florida you’re actually getting a little bit more of the cloud-to-ground lightning, which is the more dangerous type of lightning because it can impact people, plants, trees, houses and animals."
While Oklahoma may be able to boast the largest statewide total for lightning strikes, Orange and Seminole counties in Florida are the runaway winners in terms of smaller-scale locations that receive the most hits. According to the data, the neighboring counties both see an annual average of more than 159 lightning strikes per square kilometer.
Florida's longtime reputation as the country's undisputed lightning capital comes from the days when detection systems could only record cloud-to-ground lightning, Vagasky said. But with Vaisala's detection technology, in-cloud strikes can trigger detection anywhere in the world.
Vagasky added the top spot for the most-struck state could go back and forth between Oklahoma and Florida on a year-to-year basis, as trends tend to fluctuate. Looking at long-term trends, he said frequency totals tend to shift between 10 and 15% each year.
All types of lightning are dangerous, and there is a variety of ways in which an individual can be injured or killed by a strike. From direct strikes to ground currents to lesser-known types of lightning called sidewinders and streamers, the overall risk of being struck by lightning is very low. According to the National Weather Service, the odds of being struck are one in 15,300 over the course of a lifetime (defined as 80 years).
And by anywhere, he means anywhere.
“Vaisala owns and operates the global operating data set and we detect lightning pole to pole all around the world," Vagasky said. "A couple years ago we detected lightning just 32 miles away from the North Pole, so that probably woke up Santa’s reindeer at the time."
Around the world, Florida and Oklahoma's density totals are certainly eye-popping for the U.S., but they are dwarfed by the numbers put up by other countries. Singapore, for example, leads the world in lightning strike frequencies, with 126.6 lightning events per square kilometer per year.
International safety
Dr. Mary Ann Cooper of the National Lightning Safety Council told AccuWeather that in order to contextualize the lightning strike frequency figures coming from Oklahoma, Florida or Singapore, it's important to understand that safety is the ultimate determinant of lightning's impact on an area.
Cooper is the managing director of the African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLEnet) and a renowned expert in international lightning injuries and injury prevention.
In sub-Saharan countries like Uganda, Cooper said the numbers hardly matter compared to the resources.
"To contextualize it, it's not the lightning flash density so much as to whether someone has a safe place to go to," she said. "The number one thing for saving lives is that there are safe places for people to get to."
In areas like Oklahoma or Singapore, she said it hardly matters what the lightning flash density is since there are substantial buildings that people can get to nearly at all times.
A bolt of lightning strikes beyond the scoreboard of Coors Field during a weather delay before a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, July 13, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Experts at the Lightning Safety Council have worked for years to promote public education of lightning safety. Dr. Cooper said she is particularly encouraged by the fact that 16 countries will be attending its International Lightning Safety Awareness Day program, which also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Runyanya Primary School tragedy.
On June 28, 2011, 18 children were killed and 36 others were hospitalized by a lightning strike at the school in Uganda.
To prevent similar tragedies, Cooper said public education is paramount. In developed countries, nations have done a good job of teaching people rhymes and jingles like "when thunder roars, go indoors," to instruct people to seek shelter in lightning-safe buildings when storms are approaching, she said.
A lightning warning is shown on the scoreboard in Nissan Stadium before a preseason NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
"But when we get into the developing countries, we don’t have either of these," she said of building safety and public education. "They don’t have safe places to go. Ninety percent of sub-Saharan Africa has non-lightning safe homes and businesses, so they’re at risk 24/7/365. The whole family, whether they’re sleeping, working in the field, at the market, studying at school -- they’re at risk. And there’s very little public education in lightning safety, and that’s one of the things that we’re trying to do with ACLEnet."
One of the hindrances the ACLEnet has encountered has come from prevailing mythology in many countries. Cooper said her organization has had to disprove beliefs such as that wearing a certain color can attract lightning strikes or that witches can be hired to call down lightning on enemies.
In some cultures, she said that it is believed that touching an individual who has been struck by lightning can bring down further lightning strikes on them or their family, stopping people from resuscitating strike victims.
There is a tremendous amount of work left to be done, Cooper said, but the spread of public education has to start with continued awareness, for people in all areas, regardless of the lightning frequency.
"As I tell every media outlet I talk to, your interview and your story will save lives. The media are the ones that got the word out," she said. "I could have written 20 medical papers, but how many people are going to read them? You guys have gotten the information out there and people know what they’re supposed to do, even if they can’t quote the exact term or the exact motto, they know what they’re supposed to do."
To stay safe, Dr. Cooper and Vagasky both urged people to take lightning seriously and know where to go for safety.
Not all buildings are lightning-safe and the power of lightning strikes should never be underestimated, they caution.
“Thousands of people around the world are injured and killed by it every year. Lightning heats up the atmosphere to [a temperature] hotter than the surface of the sun," Vagasky said, adding that a lightning bolt packs thousands of times more electricity than the wall outlets that people plug phones or computers into. "Any time there’s thunder in the area, any time you can see lightning nearby, you need to be in a lightning-safe place like a substantial building with plumbing and electrical in the walls, or a fully-enclosed metal vehicle to truly be safe from lightning,” he said.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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