Jun 4, 2025 - News
Where Virginians are most at risk of being struck by lightning
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Virginia is a great place to be if you're trying to dodge being struck by lightning.
By the numbers: The state had an average of 45 lightning strikes per square mile in 2024, per weather data firm Vaisala Xweather.
- That's far lower than the lightning capitals of the U.S. like Texas, where its most struck county had 825 strikes per square mile.
- Lunenburg, Virginia's most struck county about 90 minutes from Richmond, had about 159 — and a total of nearly 69,000 lightning strikes.
Threat level: Your odds of lightning strikes in the Richmond area are slightly higher than Virginia's average, though.
- Richmond had 63 strikes per square mile, followed by Henrico (66), Chesterfield (66) and Hanover (68).
- The lowest chances of strikes per square mile statewide are near Harrisonburg, Shenandoah and Radford.
- The highest chances outside of Lunenburg: Prince William County, around Farmville and in Emporia.
What we're watching: Lightning can pose immediate danger to people and infrastructure and spark wildfires.
- And researchers predict that strikes could increase with climate change.
Go deeper: States with the most lightning strikes