Florida Still Deadliest State For Lightning Strikes
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida is known for being the deadliest state in the country for lightning strikes — and 2014 has been no exception.
The Tampa Tribune reports four people in Florida have been fatally struck so far this year.
That's the same number as in the rest of the entire nation, according to the National Weather Service.
Summer is the peak season for lightning, and nationwide, 51 people on average are killed each year while hundreds more suffer severe injuries.
Overall the number of lightning fatalities appears to be on the decline and this year an anomaly. There were four lightning deaths in Florida in all of 2013.
Weather Service meteorologists say there are about 1.45 million lightning strikes in Florida each year.
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