The National Lightning Safety Council put Alabama in the top 10 ranking for the most lightning strike fatalities from 2016 to 2025.
Alabama ranked number three with 11 recorded deaths since 2016. The majority of lightning strike deaths occurred in July.
Washington, D.C., was ranked number one and Florida number two.
There is no specific area in Alabama where lightning-strike deaths are more common, although many occur while people are working or enjoying outdoor leisure activities.
In 2024, Winfred Shipman was struck and killed while at a Smiths Station flea market. The year before, Marquin Russell was killed while working in a Florence parking lot.
The National Weather Service observes Lightning Safety Awareness Week every June. The NWS warns that lightning kills or injures hundreds of people in the U.S. every year and educates the public on lightning safety.
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