Hartford, Connecticut – Connecticut officials are using the winter months to reinforce lightning safety awareness after 21 people across the United States were killed by lightning in 2025, the highest annual total since 2019.
According to the National Weather Service and the National Lightning Safety Council, most lightning fatalities last year occurred during outdoor activities, including sports, boating, beach visits, and outdoor work. While Connecticut did not record a lightning-related death in 2025, emergency managers stress that the state still faces real risk once thunderstorm season returns.
Lightning danger in Connecticut typically rises from late spring through summer, especially during afternoon and evening storms that develop quickly along cold fronts or sea-breeze boundaries. Athletic fields, parks, lakes, construction sites, and outdoor events across central and southern Connecticut are among the most vulnerable locations when storms approach.
State officials say winter is the ideal time to strengthen safety habits. If thunder is heard anywhere in Connecticut, residents should move indoors immediately to a substantial building or enclosed vehicle. Open fields, isolated trees, rooftops, metal structures, and bodies of water significantly increase the risk of being struck.
Emergency managers emphasize that early decisions save lives. Lightning safety outreach is expected to increase statewide as warmer weather approaches, with the goal of keeping Connecticut residents prepared and protected throughout the 2026 storm season.
