Lightning Maps Show 36.8 Million Strikes Yearly in the US

Wondering if you reside in a region prone to lightning strikes? Recent maps reveal the precise locations where lightning makes contact with the ground throughout the United States annually. Hint: If you’re concerned about lightning strikes, you may want to avoid Florida.

This is because, as per the maps, Florida stands out as the primary hotspot for lightning strikes in the United States. Remarkably, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area alone experienced over 120,000 lightning strikes in 2023.

Mapping Lightning Strikes

Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, collaborated with a team of scientists from various universities and meteorological institutions to develop these maps. Their creation involved utilizing data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), which comprises a network of antennas placed nationwide. The NLDN relies on the radio waves emitted by lightning strikes to monitor their occurrence. This system has the capability to detect at least 97% of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the country and can differentiate between strikes and flashes occurring within clouds.

To grasp Vagasky’s maps, it’s beneficial to understand the categorization of lightning.

“Picture observing a thunderstorm from a window, with cloud-to-ground lightning nearby. The lightning seems to flicker,” he explained in an article about the research published in The Conversation. “A lightning flash encompasses all the cloud-to-ground lightning that happens within one second and a six-mile radius. Each flicker represents a lightning stroke. Each stroke can target one or more ground strike points, and there can be multiple strokes in the same pathway.”

Examining Ground Strike Points across the United States

Keeping this in mind, the initial map by Vagasky illustrates the distribution of lightning ground strike points on a square-kilometer basis across the United States over a six-year period. It’s evident that there’s a notably higher concentration around the Gulf of Mexico.

Vagasky explained, “Thunderstorms typically form when warm, moist air near the ground meets cooler, drier air above it, along with a mechanism to lift the warm, moist air. Lightning can occur wherever these conditions exist. The Gulf Coast experiences this phenomenon most frequently, especially during summer, due to the sea breeze that often triggers thunderstorms.”

Highlighting Lightning Activity

In the subsequent map, the concentration of lightning strikes across the nation is emphasized, revealing the significant activity in Florida and nearby Mississippi. Despite Texas experiencing a greater number of lightning strikes overall in 2023, Florida and Mississippi had strikes occurring in a more condensed area. The scale depicted at the top of the image illustrates the number of strikes per square kilometer increasing from left to right.

The last map created by Vagasky and his team illustrates the average number of ground strike points per flash over a five-year period, further underscoring the prevalence of lightning in the Gulf region.

Vagasky notes that there is currently insufficient data to determine whether lightning strikes have been on the rise or decline in frequency. However, he believes that the maps can offer valuable insights to various sectors.

“Meteorologists and emergency management teams can utilize this fresh data and our analysis to gain a deeper understanding of how lightning typically impacts their areas,” he stated. “This knowledge can enhance risk forecasting and aid in public preparedness for thunderstorm-related dangers. Additionally, engineers are leveraging these findings to develop improved lightning protection standards aimed at safeguarding individuals and property.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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