U.S. Lightning Strike Deaths Total for 2023: 13
Historical Lows! Great work from the National Lightning Safety Council!
This is the time of year when I get all sorts of finalized mortality statistics… but let me start with some happy news for once.
John Jensenius of the National Lightning Safety Council sent a notice for the final count of lightning strike deaths in the U.S. in 2023: 13.
U.S. National Lightning Safety Council Gets Results
To quote Jensenius:
Thanks to everyone's continuing efforts, 2023 saw the second lowest number of documented lightning fatalities (13). This was well below the 10-year average of 22. The only year with fewer deaths was 2021 with 11 documented deaths.
His report on the year is here:
Summary of 2023 Fatal Lightning Incidents
More Lightning Safety Council Links:
U.S. Lightning Fatalities 2006 to 2023
Map of Fatalities by State (2006-2023) - PDF
Other Lightning Fatality Graphs
John Jensenius’s profile at the National Weather Service
John was NOAA's specialist on lightning safety and served as a national spokesperson for the organization on issues related to lightning and lightning safety. He developed a considerable amount of educational material on lightning, and started tracking and documenting lightning fatalities nationwide. John worked with numerous organizations, such as Little League Baseball, to promote lightning safety among their participants. In addition to numerous non-technical talks, interviews, and television and radio shows concerning lightning and lightning safety, John has made live appearances on network shows such as the Today Show and the CBS Early Show and has also appeared as a lightning expert on special programs related to lightning including several aired on The Weather Channel. In 2001, John initiated the first "national Lightning Safety Awareness Week," an effort that has continued to grow since its inception. For his work in lightning safety education, John was honored with the National Weather Association's 2005 Public Education Award. In 2006, in recognition of his efforts to initiate NOAA's lightning safety efforts and for his contributions to that effort, John was awarded a Department of Commerce Silver Medal, the Department's second highest honor.
Longer Trend of Lightning Strike Deaths, 1940-2023
While Jensenius has kept the data on the website since 2006, there are two other sources of these deaths — the CDC (which I can get going back to 1968 through CDC WONDER) and the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service has data going back to 1940.
So let’s add the 2023 data to the graph:
As mentioned in prior posts (see links at end of post), there are some disparities in reporting of lightning strike deaths, but not necessarily huge. The trend is essentially the same — downward, even as the population continues to grow.
Demographics over Time
I’ll keep it simple, using John Jensenius’s data. The numbers are so low that if I try to use CDC WONDER, they’ll get censored.
Male vs. Female, 2006-2023
This is the main demographic split I will do right now. Yes, there are age differences, and there are definitely some very interesting items to note concerning geography and activity for deaths.
However, the sex gap in mortality is always useful to note.
With respect to certain kinds of risk-taking…. yeah.
There are large disparities.
