The United States has recorded its first lightning fatality of 2026. Play Casino has analyzed lightning death data by state over the past 20 years, focusing on the National Weather Service and the National Lightning Safety Council. Florida recorded 97 confirmed lightning deaths between 2006 and 2025, while Texas came in second place with 42 deaths. The Florida Department of Health counts roughly 1.2 million lightning strikes across the state each year, with over 3,000 cloud-to-ground strikes on an average day. Over the last nine years, Florida accounted for roughly a quarter of all lightning deaths recorded nationwide. However, adjusted for population size, Wyoming has the highest lightning death rate in the country at 5.13 deaths per million residents.