Texas Lower, Florida Higher Than Average in 2022 Lightning Strike Data

The Washington Post has written an article covering recently released data on where lightning struck across the U.S. in 2022 and the implications it can have, which could include for water managers. Overall, lightning activity in 2022 was closer to average (between 20 to 25 million flashes per year) than the concerning lows of 2020 and 2021, but the distribution of strikes across regions was unusual. Both the Mississippi River Basin and Texas were lower than average, a sign of the drought-like conditions those areas are experiencing. Meanwhile Florida experienced significantly more lightning strikes than average, a number boosted by Hurricane Ian, which produced much more lightning than average. Read more at the Washington Post.