SC sees shocking spike in lightning events in 2022, new report says. Here’s where it hit the most
South Carolina had a shocking 2022.
South Carolina saw a rise in lightning strikes year over year, placing it 23rd highest among states with the most lightning in 2022, a new report shows.
Vaisala Xweather, a weather, environmental and industrial measurements company, revealed the Palmetto State’s ranking as part of its annual lightning report. Released last week, the report details lightning trends across the U.S. by counting cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in each state. The company uses its own national detection network to detect lightning strikes all day, every day of the year.
“Lightning can start wildfires, cause power outages, and damage infrastructure. Monitoring lightning in real-time and analyzing long-term trends is essential for protecting life and property and understanding changes to our climate,” Chris Vagasky, meteorologist and lightning expert at Vaisala Xweather, said in a press release.
South Carolina lightning
According to the report, South Carolina had more than 2.94 million total lightning counts in 2022 to earn its 23rd highest ranking. The state was ranked lower at 29th in 2021 with approximately 2.1 million total lightning counts.
But which place in South Carolina had the most lightning in 2022?
That honor goes to St. George, a small town in Dorchester County The town had 193 lightning events per square kilometer in 2022, the report states.
Lightning across the U.S.
Texas ranked at the top of the list easily with more than 27 million lightning events in 2022. Florida, the second highest-ranked state, had about 18.7 million lightning events. The states of Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi came in at third, fourth and fifth highest ranked respectively.
Also, May 21 was the single day in the U.S. with the most lightning events at about 3.3 million lightning bolts.
However, though Texas had the top spot, there were 14 million fewer lightning events there in 2022 compared to the previous year, the report states.
“Even as lightning counts across the continental United States returned closer to average levels, 22 states still saw below-average lightning – including Texas, which saw its count drop by 34% from 2021,” Vagasky said.
According to the National Weather Service, there were 19 reported lightning U.S. fatalities in 2022, none of which were in South Carolina.
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
