<p>For a comprehensive literature review of sources of lightning fatalities data you can check the paper "<a href="http://lsg.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/safety/uploads/PDF/Lightning-relatedinjuriesandfatalitiesinCanada_FINAL-TECHNICAL_1-September-06.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Striking Back: An Assessment of Lightning related Fatality and Injury Risk in Canada</a>", it covers US and Canadian sources. But if you want to know which one is the largest and arguably the best. That would be <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NOAA's Storm Database</a>. The data you can access trough the online interface is quite limited, so I would recommend to go to the <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/ftp.jsp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bulk Data Download</a> area, and get the original spreadsheets. You will see 3 files per year: Locations, Fatalities and Details, from 1950 to 2017. I would recommend to download the "Details" files, as it also have information about the location (Lat/Lon) and number of deaths and injuries, and a short narrative of the event.
It is a large table, as an example, I took the following screenshot of the most important data columns for all the lightning events with casualties in 2009:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cYrhS.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cYrhS.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>You can download the Fatalities file if you want more info abut the age, gender and location of the victim. The relevant fields look like this:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/1HSsP.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1HSsP.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-29T16:05:05.797Z
2018-03-29T16:05:05.797Z
Camilo Rada
<p>e.g. Something like <a href="http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities/fatalities17.shtml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a>, but for historical years (preferably covering 1980-2007, since the NWS detailed lists only start from 2008). Location of strike, victim name, where the victim was at (under tree, out on open water, at beach), etc.</p>

<p>If such a resource does not exist, then what's the next best thing? All the archived meteoroepidemiology (yes I know that's not a word) data I've been able to find is limited to overall numbers of lightning deaths by state/on a national basis.</p>

<meteorology><statistics><lightning>
Where can I find detailed historical breakdowns of U.S. lightning fatalities on a year-by-year basis?
spillthrill
# Where can I find detailed historical breakdowns of U.S. lightning fatalities on a year-by-year basis?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-29)

e.g. Something like [this](http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities/fatalities17.shtml), but for historical years (preferably covering 1980-2007, since the NWS detailed lists only start from 2008). Location of strike, victim name, where the victim was at (under tree, out on open water, at beach), etc.

If such a resource does not exist, then what's the next best thing? All the archived meteoroepidemiology (yes I know that's not a word) data I've been able to find is limited to overall numbers of lightning deaths by state/on a national basis.

**Tags:** meteorology, statistics, lightning


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-29. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

For a comprehensive literature review of sources of lightning fatalities data you can check the paper "[Striking Back: An Assessment of Lightning related Fatality and Injury Risk in Canada](http://lsg.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/safety/uploads/PDF/Lightning-relatedinjuriesandfatalitiesinCanada_FINAL-TECHNICAL_1-September-06.pdf)", it covers US and Canadian sources. But if you want to know which one is the largest and arguably the best. That would be [NOAA's Storm Database](https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/). The data you can access trough the online interface is quite limited, so I would recommend to go to the [Bulk Data Download](https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/ftp.jsp) area, and get the original spreadsheets. You will see 3 files per year: Locations, Fatalities and Details, from 1950 to 2017. I would recommend to download the "Details" files, as it also have information about the location (Lat/Lon) and number of deaths and injuries, and a short narrative of the event.
It is a large table, as an example, I took the following screenshot of the most important data columns for all the lightning events with casualties in 2009:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/cYrhS.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/cYrhS.png)

You can download the Fatalities file if you want more info abut the age, gender and location of the victim. The relevant fields look like this:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/1HSsP.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/1HSsP.png)


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