Key Takeaways
- Oklahoma has become the new lightning capital of the US, with approximately 73 lightning flashes per square mile in 2025.
- The state surpassed Florida, which has traditionally dominated this ranking, due to a drier than average year in Florida and an active year for severe weather in Oklahoma.
- The Great Plains region is emerging as an increasingly active region for high-impact storms, with the top 10 states with the most intense lightning storms accounting for roughly half of the region.
- Texas recorded the most overall lightning flashes, with over 13 million flashes, exceeding its historical average by 1.3 million.
- Florida still led the nation in lightning deaths, with four fatalities, despite Oklahoma’s rise to the top of the lightning rankings.
Introduction to the New Lightning Capital
The US has a new lightning champion, with Oklahoma dethroning Florida to become the nation’s lightning capital, according to a new report released on January 5, 2026. The report, which used data from a lightning detection network with 1,800 sensors across the US, found that Oklahoma had approximately 73 lightning flashes per square mile in 2025. This represents a significant shift in weather patterns compared to past years, with the Great Plains emerging as an increasingly active region for high-impact storms.
Reasons Behind Oklahoma’s Rise to the Top
According to Elizabeth DiGangi, a lightning scientist at environmental consulting firm AEM, Oklahoma’s rise to the top of the lightning rankings can be attributed to a drier than average year in Florida and an active year for severe weather in Oklahoma. DiGangi explained that Florida had a drier than average year in 2025, likely driven in part by most Atlantic hurricanes staying out to sea. In contrast, Oklahoma had an incredibly active year for severe weather, with above-average precipitation for several months. As a result, there were simply more thunderstorms producing more flashes per square mile in Oklahoma than in Florida last year.
Is this Shift Part of a Trend?
It is difficult to say whether this shift is part of a larger trend, according to DiGangi. The 2025 warm season was characterized by neutral El Niño/La Niña conditions, which means that there was room for other large-scale influences on weather and climate to play stronger roles on thunderstorm frequency in the US, up to and including anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change. DiGangi added that 2026 data will be useful for research focused on the drivers of spring and summer thunderstorms in the absence of El Niño or La Niña.
State with the Most Overall Flashes
While Oklahoma led in lightning concentration, Texas dominated in sheer volume and storm intensity. According to the AEM report, Texas recorded more than 13 million lightning flashes, exceeding its historical average by 1.3 million. The Great Plains accounted for roughly half of the top 10 states with the most intense lightning storms, underscoring the region’s reputation as a severe weather hotspot.
Lightning Fatalities
Florida still led the nation in lightning deaths, with four fatalities, according to a report from the National Lightning Safety Council. There were a total of 21 known lightning fatalities in the US and its territories in 2025, which is the greatest yearly total for lightning deaths in the US since 2019 and is slightly above the 10-year average of 20. Fatalities occurred in 12 states and one US territory, with Florida leading the nation followed by North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, New Jersey, and Colorado, each with two fatalities.
Key Findings from the AEM Lightning Report
The AEM report also highlighted several key findings, including the top states by flash density, with Oklahoma claiming the top position with 73 flashes per square mile, followed by Florida, Louisiana, and Kansas. Kay County, Oklahoma, led the nation with 123.4 flashes per square mile, while June 15 was the most lightning-intense day of the year, with 929,016 flashes recorded nationwide. The report also found that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, contended with more than 10,000 lightning flashes, while Chicago’s Millennium Park was exposed to more than 11,000 lightning flashes, more than any other top-visited US landmark.