Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather deaths in the United States. In Georgia, lightning kills or injures several people every year. In 2007, 1 person died and 7 were injured. Lightning killed 2 people and injured 28 in 2005. Five people died and 17 were injured in 2004. 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.