ST. LOUIS – As climate patterns shift and extreme weather becomes more common, lightning remains one of the most powerful and unpredictable forces of nature.

Lightning is fascinating to watch but extremely dangerous. In the United States, there are about 25 million lightning flashes every year. Each of those 25 million flashes is a potential killer.

Lightning deaths unfortunately increase in the summertime months, particularly July.

“We have seen quite a few fatalities in July. Fortunately, we have not seen quite as many in August, which is very typical. This August, we’ve seen fewer than normal,” John Jensenius, a meteorologist and lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council, said.

The average annual lightning fatality count in the U.S. has hovered around 20

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