The Sunshine State is used to seeing lightning and hearing thunder but a new report found that the rate of bolts illuminating the sky is actually lower than during recent years.
According to experts at AEM, a private technology company that monitors lightning activity, Oklahoma overtook Florida as the nation’s lightning capital in 2025.
Data showed that around 73 lightning flashes per square mile were reported in reported in Oklahoma, surpassing Florida, which has historically ranked at or near the top of the list.
Overall, AEM said it detected nearly 430 million lightning pulses from some 88.4 million lightning flashes across the United States in 2025.
The figure marked a 9.8% increase in lightning activity compared to the previous year, but the increase was not evenly distributed across the country, as certain hotspots, such as Florida, experienced fewer lightning events.
A separate analysis by Vaisala, a global technology company that produces its own annual lightning report, found similar results.
Vaisala reported that Shady Grove, Oklahoma, was the lightning capital of the United States in 2025, recording some 3,005 lightning events per square mile.
“Oklahoma’s rise to the top of our lightning rankings represents a significant shift in 2025’s weather patterns compared with past years,” Dr. Elizabeth DiGangi, a lightning scientist at AEM, said in a statement. “Because ENTLN captures lightning activity with exceptional coverage and precision, we can see how lightning patterns are evolving, with the Great Plains emerging as an increasingly active region for high-impact storms.”
Despite losing its top ranking, Florida remains one of the most lightning-prone states in the country.
All of the state's 67 counties see thunderstorm activity year-round, with plenty of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, causing hazards.
Football stadiums in Miami, Tampa and Tallahassee recorded some of the highest numbers of hours that met the criteria for game suspensions in 2025, based on NFL safety rules designed to protect players and fans.
Florida also reported the most lightning-related deaths in the nation in 2025. Fatalities were reported in Highlands County, New Smyrna Beach and Gulf County, with all taking place during the summer and fall months.
Across the country, the National Lightning Safety Council reported a total of 21 lightning-related deaths in 2025.
While the amount of fatalities was below the long-term average, it marked the highest annual death toll since 2019.
Within the Sunshine State, a possible factor contributing to reduced lightning activity may have been a lack of rainfall during much of the year, which was associated with limited atmospheric instability.
Many communities reported rainfall deficits and drought conditions throughout 2025, with some areas reporting rainfall anomalies approaching 30 inches below normal.
The only notable surpluses occurred in parts of Central Florida and along the Space Coast, where heavy rainfall during the fall helped offset the dry conditions.
Even with the overall reduction in lighting, staff with Vaisala said that the community of Placid Lakes, located between Arcadia and Okeechobee, had the greatest lightning density in the state during the past year.
Not far from that area, local authorities reported that two men died from injuries associated with a lightning strike while on a hunting trip, highlighting how dangerous frequent lightning can be.
Activities such as fishing, relaxing at the beach and boating are among the National Lightning Safety Council’s so-called “deadly dozen," which account for more than half of all lightning-related deaths every year.
According to the National Weather Service, a lightning bolt can travel 10 to 12 miles outward away from a thunderstorm and can contain up to 300 million volts of electricity, which can be deadly.
The odds of being struck by lightning are estimated to be at around 1 out of 1,222,000, with June being the most common month for lightning strikes in the United States.
