There were 11 deaths caused by lightning strikes in the United State last year; 4 of them happened in Florida.
Those numbers are way down.
On average 36 people die every year from lightning.
The four deaths in Florida all happened on the Gulf Coast, including Marco Island, Sanibel Island, St. Petersburg, and Lakewood Ranch.
The other lightning related deaths in the US occurred in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, California, New York and Wisconsin.
Texas had the most lightning strikes overall with nearly 42 million.
Florida was a distant second at 14.6 million strikes, but Florida had the most lightning strikes per square mile of any state at 223.
Lightning can strike from 10 miles away, so if you can hear thunder, you are in danger of being struck by lightning.
The only safe places to be during a thunderstorm are in a building or in a car.
Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
You should also stay off corded phones, computers and equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity, and avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.
If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, do not take shelter under an isolated tree; get away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water; and stay away from objects that conduct electricity.
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