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Number of lightning fatalities on track to be highest in 5 years

Posted at 10:47 AM, Aug 03, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-03 11:08:45-04

This year continues to be a big year for lightning strike fatalities with 21 deaths at the end of July.

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Most of those lightning fatalities have been in southern states where thunderstorms are more common and people are more likely to be outside.

While no one has been struck and killed by lightning in a little more than a week, August is a big month for lightning strikes.

In the last five years, an average of eight people have been struck and killed by lightning during the final two months of summer, August and September.

If that average number holds up, that would bring the total lightning fatalities across the United States to 29, the most since 2010.