Boston, Massachusetts – New England 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 boating, hiking, sports, yard work, and construction. While New England states did not record a lightning-related fatality in 2025, emergency managers say the region remains at risk once thunderstorm season returns.
Lightning danger across New England typically increases from late spring through summer, especially during fast-moving afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Coastal storms, inland heat-driven storms, and elevated terrain can all produce dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, placing beachgoers, hikers, athletes, and outdoor workers at risk with little warning.
Emergency management leaders across the region say winter is the ideal time to strengthen safety habits ahead of 2026. If thunder is heard anywhere in New England, residents should move indoors immediately to a substantial building or enclosed vehicle. Open fields, hilltops, isolated trees, rooftops, and bodies of water significantly increase the risk of being struck.
Officials emphasize that avoiding fatalities starts with early decisions. Lightning safety outreach is expected to increase across New England as warmer weather approaches, with the goal of keeping the region off the national fatality list when thunderstorms return next year
