Lightning strikes average down nationally but not here

Where did all the storms go?

Lightning (Copyright 2020 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Lightning strikes in 2020 were down on average across the country but not in our backyard.

According to Vaisala’s 2020 Annual Lightning Report, last year saw a total of 170 million lightning events in the continental U.S., a decrease of 52 million events compared to the previous year.

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. (Vaisala)

Thunderstorms were less numerous due to warmer mid level atmospheric temperatures which suppressed thunderstorms.

Still, Florida took the top rank for the state with the highest lightning density coming in just before Oklahoma. But much of the Florida Panhandle and south Florida saw less lightning compared to most years. This may be attributed to the lack of hurricane landfalls this season.

Areas around Volusia county south of Jacksonville had the most lightning, while northeast Florida and Southeastern Georgia had nearly double above average activity.

While Texas had the highest lightning counts because of its size, Florida remains the United States lightning capital based on density.

The decrease resulted in fewer deaths in Florida and the nation.

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About the Author:

After covering the weather from every corner of Florida and doing marine research in the Gulf, Mark Collins settled in Jacksonville to forecast weather for The First Coast.