APOPKA, Florida — One thing we don't get much of in Utah is lightning.
Florida, though, that's another story. It's regarded as the "lightning capital" of the United States, given the frequency of strikes, and a pretty spectacular showing earlier this month in Apopka near Orlando demonstrates why. Strikes usually go from the clouds to the ground, but the Aug. 4 strike seemed to zig and zag in every direction — up, down, left and right.
What's more, it seemed to go on forever — the Weather Channel said the lightning storm in question lasted around two or three minutes.
WFTV, a Florida television station, said the frequency of lightning stems from the humidity and rainfall in the area. "Central Florida's frequent afternoon thunderstorms, propelled by sea‑breeze collisions, result in extreme amounts of lightning," it said in reporting on the Aug. 4 strike. Whatever the cause, the Aug. 4 bolt went everywhere, kind of like a spider web.
I find a measure of comfort in a heavy rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning, as long as it doesn't cause destruction. The rain on the roof during a nighttime storm helps me sleep. But no doubt about it — lightning isn't to be taken lightly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida and Texas each registered more than 30 deaths due to lightning from 2006 to 2021, the highest in the nation.
"Florida is considered the 'lightning capital' of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years," according to the CDC.
The risk in Utah isn't as high, though it's not nonexistent. The state registered between six and 15 deaths between 2006 and 2021, the same as 17 other states, while a handful of states reported none.
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