Michigan residents have surprisingly higher risk of being struck by lightning

By Clara Lincolnhol, Capital News Service

LANSING — Michigan experiences hundreds of thousands of lightning strikes each year and ranks 25th in lightning density per square mile, according to 2024 data. 

On July 9, lightning started a fire at Thayer Marine in Jackson County’s Summit Township. The business burned to the ground.

Lightning strikes in Michigan are on the lower side of the scale because the state gets fewer storms than many others, said MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa.

But the number of people struck by lightning in the state is disproportionately high, he said.

“Michigan is fairly low on the lightning strikes across the country, and that’s what’s always made us say that Michiganders put themselves in places to be struck by lightning,” Torregrossa said.

Cloud to ground lightning strikes account for 20% of all lightning activity according to AEM, a company that monitors lightning in the United States.

The popularity of outdoor summer activities in the state — like boating, fishing, camping, hiking, golfing and going to the beach — raises the odds and pushes up the statistics, he said.

“We’ve had some cases where 10 or 20 people are all struck by one lightning bolt. It strikes along the beach, travels along the beach and strikes 10 or 20 people,” Torregrossa said.

Getting struck happens more often than most people think, and it’s important to take storms seriously, he said.

To stay safe, take shelter in a building or vehicle as soon as you hear thunder, see lightning or notice a storm rolling in. Wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going back outside, he said.

Clara Lincolnhol is a reporting intern at WKAR. This story was brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR, Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and Capital News Service.