{"id":8417,"date":"2016-08-17T12:03:41","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theinsuranceshop1.com\/?p=8417"},"modified":"2016-07-19T14:50:42","modified_gmt":"2016-07-19T19:50:42","slug":"what-are-your-chances-of-being-hit-by-lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theinsuranceshop1.com\/?p=8417","title":{"rendered":"What ARE your chances of being hit by lighting?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lightning\"As of mid-June, 2016 there were six lightning deaths, three in Florida, two in Louisiana and one in Mississippi, according to\u00a0statistics<\/a>\u00a0from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/a>\u00a0(NOAA).<\/p>\n

In 2015<\/a> the number of direct lightning fatalities was unchanged from 2014 at 26, up from a record low of 23 in 2013. From 2006 to 2015 on average<\/a> about 31 people died each year from lightning strikes in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. Going back over the last 30 years, 48 people died each year on average<\/a>\u00a0from lightning strikes. The significant decline in lightning deaths is due to fewer farmers working in fields, along with technological advances, better lightning protection and awareness of lightning safety.<\/p>\n

The top states for lightning deaths in 2015<\/a> were Florida, with five deaths, Alabama with four deaths and Arizona with three deaths. Iowa, North Carolina and New Mexico each had two deaths. Eight additional states reported one lightning death in 2015: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.<\/p>\n

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LIGHTNING FATALITIES BY STATE, 2015<\/h2>\n
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Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
View Archived Graphs<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Homeowners Insurance Losses<\/strong><\/p>\n

The number of claims from lightning strikes in the United States fell in 2015; however, the total insurers paid on those claims rose by nearly 7 percent, according to an analysis by the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm\u00ae. Lightning strikes cost $790 million in homeowners insurance losses in 2015 with the average claim costing $7,947 \u00a0vs. $7,400 in 2014. \u201cThe average cost per claim is volatile from year to year,\u201d said James Lynch, FCAS MAAA, vice president of Information Services and chief actuary, \u201cbut it has generally continued to rise, in part because of the enormous increase in the number and value of consumer electronics including increasingly popular home automation systems.\u201d Florida had the largest number of homeowner insurance claims for lightning losses in 2015, followed by Georgia and Texas.<\/p>\n

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Homeowners Insurance Claims And Payout For Lightning Losses, 2011-2015<\/h2>\n
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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\nPercent change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
<\/th>\n2011<\/th>\n2012<\/th>\n2013<\/th>\n2014<\/th>\n2015<\/th>\n2014-2015<\/th>\n2011-2015<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of paid claims<\/td>\n186,307<\/td>\n151,000<\/td>\n114,740<\/td>\n99,871<\/td>\n99,423<\/td>\n-0.4%<\/td>\n-46.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insured losses ($ millions)<\/td>\n$952.5<\/td>\n$969.0<\/td>\n$673.5<\/td>\n$739.0<\/td>\n$790.1<\/td>\n6.9%<\/td>\n-17.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Average cost per claim<\/td>\n$5,112<\/td>\n$6,400<\/td>\n$5,869<\/td>\n$7,400<\/td>\n$7,947<\/td>\n7.4%<\/td>\n55.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm\u00ae.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
View Archived Tables<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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2015 WEATHER EVENTS, FATALITIES, INJURIES AND DAMAGE (1)<\/h2>\n
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Weather events<\/th>\nFatalities<\/th>\nInjuries<\/th>\nProperty damage
\n($ millions)<\/th>\n		Crop damage
\n($ millions)<\/th>\n		Total damage
\n($ millions)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Lightning<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n130<\/td>\n$16.31<\/td>\n$0.00<\/td>\n$16.31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tornado<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n924<\/td>\n316.78<\/td>\n3.64<\/td>\n320.42<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thunderstorm wind<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n159<\/td>\n252.00<\/td>\n15.79<\/td>\n267.79<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hail<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n586.02<\/td>\n132.97<\/td>\n718.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total<\/strong><\/td>\n104<\/strong><\/td>\n1,213<\/strong><\/td>\n$1,171.11<\/strong><\/td>\n$152.40<\/strong><\/td>\n$1,323.51<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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(1) Includes the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.<\/h6>\n
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
View Archived Tables<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Top 10 States For Homeowners Insurance Lightning Losses By Number Of Claims, 2015<\/h2>\n
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Rank<\/th>\nState<\/th>\nNumber of paid claims<\/th>\nInsured losses ($ millions)<\/th>\nAverage cost per claim<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>\nFlorida<\/td>\n11,898<\/td>\n$156.2<\/td>\n$13,131<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nGeorgia<\/td>\n10,442<\/td>\n61.0<\/td>\n5,844<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nTexas<\/td>\n8,844<\/td>\n84.9<\/td>\n9,595<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nLouisiana<\/td>\n5,333<\/td>\n24.4<\/td>\n4,578<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nAlabama<\/td>\n4,508<\/td>\n28.3<\/td>\n6,280<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nNorth Carolina<\/td>\n4,226<\/td>\n28.8<\/td>\n6,810<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nPennsylvania<\/td>\n3,686<\/td>\n13.2<\/td>\n3,579<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nTennessee<\/td>\n3,397<\/td>\n24.5<\/td>\n7,212<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nVirginia<\/td>\n3,174<\/td>\n21.0<\/td>\n6,607<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nSouth Carolina<\/td>\n3,163<\/td>\n13.7<\/td>\n4,318<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal, top 10<\/strong><\/td>\n58,671<\/strong><\/td>\n$455.9<\/strong><\/td>\n$7,771<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Source: Insurance Information Institute, State Farm\u00ae.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
View Archived Tables<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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