Frankfort, Kentucky – Kentucky 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 such as farming, construction, yard work, sports, and recreation near water. While Kentucky did not record a lightning-related death in 2025, emergency managers say the Commonwealth remains vulnerable once thunderstorm season returns.
Lightning risk in Kentucky typically increases from late spring through summer, especially during afternoon and evening storms that develop along cold fronts and outflow boundaries. Central and western Kentucky are particularly prone to fast-building thunderstorms, often catching people outdoors with little time to react.
State and local officials say winter is the ideal time to build safer habits. If thunder is heard anywhere in Kentucky, residents should move indoors immediately to a substantial building or enclosed vehicle. Open fields, hilltops, isolated trees, farm equipment, and bodies of water significantly increase the risk of being struck.
Emergency management leaders emphasize that early action saves lives. Lightning safety outreach is expected to increase statewide as warmer weather approaches, with the goal of keeping Kentucky residents prepared and protected throughout the 2026 storm season.
