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yesterday

Oklahoma Leads U.S. in 2025 Lightning Density as Texas Records Most Flashes

Experts call the findings preliminary and warn that a single year does not define a long-term shift.

Lightning associated with severe thunderstorms over northern Fort Worth, Texas, June 20, 2011. (David Kent/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • AEM’s preliminary 2025 data show Oklahoma averaged about 73 lightning flashes per square mile, edging past Florida.
  • Kay County, Oklahoma, ranked highest by county density with roughly 123.4 flashes per square mile.
  • The Earth Networks Total Lightning Network, with about 1,800 sensors, logged more than 88.4 million U.S. flashes, up roughly 9.8% from 2024.
  • Texas recorded the greatest total number of flashes, exceeding 13 million in 2025.
  • Lightning killed 21 people in 2025, with Florida reporting the most fatalities, and the NWS office in Norman issued the most severe-thunderstorm warnings.