National Lightning Safety Awareness Week

This week, the week of 18-24 June, is being observed as National Lightning Safety Awareness Week.

Summer is the peak season for what is considered one of the nation’s deadliest weather phenomena – lightning. However, lightning strikes year round. In the United States, an average of 22 people are killed each year by lightning. To date, there has been five deaths in 2023.

In addition, hundreds of people are permanently injured each year. People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including (but not limited to) memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, chronic pain, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, and depression.

For more information related to lightning safety, please visit:

National Weather Service: Overview: Lightning Safety

National Weather Service: Lightning Safety Tips and Resources

National Lightning Safety Council

Lightning Protection Institute

Insurance Information Institute: YouTube: Beyond Thunder Dumb: When Lightning Strikes…