How and where Utahns get struck by lightning
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Central Utah is the most lightning-prone part of the state, per weather data firm Vaisala Xweather.
Why it matters: Summer thunderstorm season famously sparks wildfires — but a lot of people have been hurt or killed by direct or nearby lightning strikes in Utah.
By the numbers: Sanpete County led the state for ground strikes in 2024, with nearly 22 per square mile. That number was 20 in Sevier County.
- Most of the country has fewer than 100 ground strikes per square mile, but there are hundreds in some counties in the southeast. Walker County, Texas, had about 825 strikes per square mile.
The intrigue: Most lightning injuries — about 90%, per the CDC — aren't fatal, but they're still terrifying. Victims describe long recoveries, physical disabilities and PTSD.
- Utah tied for the 16th-most fatalities in the past decade, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
Here are some of the circumstances in which Utahns have been hurt or killed by lightning.
- Many here involved storms that appeared and disappeared quickly in areas where shelter wasn't readily available.
August 2024: An Ogden man died after lightning struck a boat in which he was fishing in the Bear River.
- His brother and friend suffered lightning exit wounds but survived.
August 2024: A man was landscaping his yard in SLC when he saw the blue-white flash of lightning.
- He told KSL-TV that "gibberish" came out of his mouth when he tried to speak and that he experienced pain for days.
June 2024: 50 kids in a church youth group felt a shock when lightning struck the ground near where they were hiking in eastern Sevier County.
- At least one hiker was carrying an umbrella, which appeared to attract a bolt. Seven were taken to hospitals by ambulance.
- One teen compared the strike to being hit in the head by a baseball bat. Another said it was like being crushed by bricks.
June 2020: A man was knocked unconscious when lightning struck behind him while he was hiking near Eagle Mountain.
February 2018: A golfer in St. George suffered burns on 20% of his body when a lightning bolt hit him and set him "on fire," a friend said.
August 2017: Three sisters, ages 3, 6 and 7, were fishing at Lilly Lake in the Uinta Mountains when lightning struck them.
- The bolt struck the two older girls directly; their father revived them with CPR.
July 2016: A 14-year-old girl was killed and her stepmother was injured when their jet ski was hit by lightning at Flaming Gorge as they tried to return to the dock due to a sudden storm.
What's next: Researchers predict lightning strikes will increase amid climate change, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.