Insurance claims resulting from lightning strikes amounted to over $950 million in the United States in 2022, according to new data from the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).
The claims were paid out to more than 62,000 policyholders, Triple-I indicated, with California accounting for $125 million of the total claims.
Overall, the total value of lightning-caused homeowners’ insurance claims was found to have decreased by over 27%, amounting to $952 million versus $1.3 billion in 2021.
Despite this decline, the number of lightning claims increased by 2.2% between 2021 and 2022, rising from 60,851 to 62,189. According to Triple-I, the top 10 states with the most claims contributed to around half of the total.
Still, the average cost per lightning-related claim reportedly decreased by 29%, going from $21,578 in 2021 to $15,280 in 2022.
Florida, the state with the highest occurrence of thunderstorms, recorded the highest number of lightning claims in the US in 2022 with a total of 5,504.
Meanwhile, California had the highest average cost per claim at $36,319, followed by Texas at $25,286. Other states included in the top 10 were: Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, New York, Louisiana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Triple-I’s findings are based on national insurance claims data. The release coincides with Lightning Awareness Week, which is scheduled from June 18 to 24.
Commenting on the findings, Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan said insurers have started to shift their focus toward predicting and preventing losses by promoting resilience measures and utilizing real-time technology applications.
He went on to stress the importance of Lightning Safety Awareness Week in educating people about the risks that lightning poses to both life and property.
The Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) also emphasized the importance of taking proactive measures to protect property before a storm.
“When it comes to protecting homes, businesses or critical facilities in communities, we know that a properly installed lighting protection system is scientifically proven to mitigate the damage from a lightning strike,” said LPI executive director Tim Harger.
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