Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather deaths in the United States. In Georgia, lightning killed 1 person and injured 7 in 2003. 2 people were killed and 7 were injured by lightning in 2002. 18 people were injured and 1 person was killed by lightning in 2001. Most lightning deaths occur in the Summer months usually in the afternoon and evening hours. Also, most deaths occur when people are caught outside during a storm.

Lightning results from the buildup and release of electrical energy between positive and negative charges between the earth and a thunderstorm. A single lightning bolt can be as hot as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit - hotter even than the surface of the sun. This rapid heating and cooling of the air creates a shock wave which we hear as thunder. Lightning will usually strike the highest object in area. This includes trees, antennas, a boat on a lake, or a person standing in a field.