Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – The South Central United States is entering 2026 with a renewed focus on lightning safety after three people across the region were killed by lightning in 2025, part of a nationwide total of 21 fatalities, the highest annual count since 2019.
According to the National Weather Service and the National Lightning Safety Council, lightning deaths last year were closely tied to outdoor activities such as farming, ranch work, construction, fishing, and recreation near water. The South Central region, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, is especially vulnerable due to frequent warm-season thunderstorms and large areas of open terrain.
Lightning risk in the South Central states increases sharply from late spring through summer, when fast-moving storms develop along drylines, cold fronts, and daytime heating boundaries. Open fields, job sites, lakes, rivers, and rural roadways can leave people exposed when storms build rapidly, sometimes before rain begins or skies darken.
Emergency managers say winter is the right time to reinforce safety habits ahead of the next storm season. If thunder is heard anywhere in the region, residents should move indoors immediately to a substantial building or enclosed vehicle. Open terrain, isolated trees, metal equipment, and bodies of water significantly increase the risk of being struck.
Officials stress that early decisions save lives. Lightning safety outreach is expected to increase across the South Central region as warmer weather approaches, with the goal of preventing additional fatalities and keeping communities safer throughout the 2026 thunderstorm season.
