In 2023, there were a total of 14 fatalities and 56 injuries reported due to lighting in the United States. In the previous year, there were 19 deaths and 53 injuries reported due to lightning nationwide.

In 2024, the state with the most number of lightning strikes recorded across the United States was Texas, with over 42.4 million lightning events. Texas always has a higher lightning count than any other state, partly due to its size and location. Ranking second that year was the state of Florida, with some 15.5 million lightning events recorded.

In 2024, tropical cyclones caused the most damage in the United States. Such a type of storm, for instance, resulted in overall losses of ***** billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, wildfires, droughts, and heatwaves resulted in economic losses of $ **** billion U.S. dollars. Severe convective storms were the second most destructive natural disaster that year, with a loss of almost **** billion U.S. dollars. Impact of severe thunderstorms in the U.S. Severe thunderstorms pose a great risk to public safety and often result in fatalities. People can be harmed in many ways during a thunderstorm, such as being directly struck by lightning or hurt when a building collapses/tree falls. In 2019, ** people were killed as a result of severe thunderstorms. Lightning strikes alone caused ** deaths and *** injuries in that year. How much was paid out due to thunderstorms? The high risk of damage posed by thunderstorms means that insurance cover is an important tool in reducing the losses incurred. In 2020 alone, approximately ****** homeowner insurance claims were paid due to lightning losses.

Lightning and thunderstorms were the leading cause for extreme weather event-related deaths in India in 2022, with 1,285 recorded fatalities. Other extreme weather events that resulted in several lives lost were floods and heavy rains. Thunder and lightning in India

India is amongst the leading countries in terms of annual lightning strikes. Lightning is the result of an electric discharge between clouds or between clouds and the earth. The warmer temperatures experienced during India’s monsoon season facilitate the quick formation of clouds that create suitable conditions for these lightning strikes. Sadly, there are many deaths attributed to lightning strikes every year across the country.

Effects of extreme weather in India

The average annual economic damage due to climate-related events in India approached 90 billion U.S. dollars in recent years. In addition to financial losses and physical damage, the loss of life caused by extreme weather affects all parts of the country. Strikingly, a survey conducted across the South Asian country found that most Indians believed that they would be affected by a major natural disaster.

In 2024, 568 people died due to weather disaster events in the United States. During the previous decade (2010-2019), 5,227 fatalities were reported caused by billion-dollar climate and weather disasters.