lightning News

Take Cover: Lightning Caused $1.2B in Homeowners Claims in 2023, Says Triple-I

Damage to U.S. homes due to lightning resulted in $1.2 billion in homeowners insurance claims in 2023, up 30% from 2022.. The number of lightning-caused U.S. homeowners insurance claims increased by 13.8% over 2022, with numbers from the top 19 …

Lightning Suspected Cause in Louisiana Tank Fire

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) – An evacuation order was lifted early Sunday for residents near a southwest Louisiana refining company where lighting is believed to have sparked a fire at a chemical storage tank. The fire at Calcasieu Refining in …

Officials: Lightning Likely Caused 2020 California Forest Fire

A lightning strike likely ignited a 2020 wildfire in California’s Sierra National Forest, but the U.S. Forest Service said Friday it could not determine an official cause of the fire. September’s Creek Fire burned 600 square miles and spread so …

Movie Theater Hit by Lightning in South Dakota, Awaiting Claim Decision

The future of a central South Dakota movie theater is uncertain after lightning struck the facility, according to its owners. A digital projector, server and computer components were damaged last month at the Lyric Theatre in Faulkton, Aberdeen American News …

Lightning Strike Causes Fire, $50K Damage in Delaware

The Office of the State Fire Marshal estimates that a lightning strike caused $50,000 worth of damage to Delaware apartments. The News Journal reports that the National Weather Service says lightning struck in the vicinity of Mill Creek’s Arundel Apartments …

Storms Hammer Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas

A powerful storm system swept across Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma late on Sunday and early Monday, killing at least one person and injuring four others, emergency officials said, as millions of people were in the path of hurricane-force winds and …

Hail Damages Barley Crops In Wyoming

Farmers around Powell, Wyo. say hail from a violent storm last week damaged or destroyed barley and other crops. The storm brought hail up to a half-inch in diameter, about a half inch of rain and 50 mph winds. It …

OSHA Investigates After Lightning Hits 9 Colorado Farm Workers

Federal authorities are investigating safety procedures at a northern Colorado farm after nine workers were struck by lightning. Two of the workers in the organic fields in Wellington were critically injured when the lightning struck Thursday afternoon. The Fort Collins …

New Hampshire Fire Marshal Warns of Lightning Hazard

New Hampshire’s fire marshal is warning homeowners to make certain that natural and propane gas lines coming into their homes are properly grounded. Fire Marshal J. William Degnan, who is president of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, says …

Rise of Gadgets Doubles Costs of Lightning Damage – I.I.I.

The cost of insurance claims for lightning strikes nearly doubled between 2004 and 2011, even as the actual number of claims shrank dramatically, and an industry trade group says fancy new TVs and videogame consoles are to blame. The Insurance …