<p>Central Florida is a zone of convergence; prevailing winds from the north crash into prevailing winds from the south.  The result is a lot of storm activity and a lot of lightning.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-21T09:27:51.273Z
Good until you said north and south.  Central Florida is a major area of convergent winds... but it's the East Coast Seabreeze and West Coast Seabreeze colliding, so generally easterly and westerly winds.  The only time Florida (or the southeast) sees synoptic winds with a significant northerly component is during the winter/early spring.  Florida's peak lightning season is the summer :-)
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-21T17:24:38.857Z
2016-06-21T17:24:38.857Z
Lee J Rickard
<p>It's pretty likely. Florida has the highest lightning strikes of anywhere in the US, as can by seen by <a href="http://lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/lightningmaps/US_FD_Lightning.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this map from lightningsafety.com</a> This is the area near Florida, with the highest levels.</p>

<p>It's hard to see, but the highest density is actually just to the west of the Cape, but it's not too far of a stretch to say it's the lightning capital of the US.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/UTVc9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/UTVc9.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-15T14:29:04.357Z
I don't know about strikes, but Miami has the most fatalities: http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/2009BAMS2765.1
called2voyage
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-15T14:29:50.957Z
Of course, that could be related to population density.
called2voyage
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-15T14:30:37.643Z
Ah I missed that my source also has a chart by density with Tampa as the highest.
called2voyage
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-15T14:25:39.973Z
2016-06-15T14:25:39.973Z
PearsonArtPhoto
<p>Today's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLNmtUEvI5A">SpaceX webcast</a> featured an interesting quote, that Cape Canaveral is the lightning capital of the US. Is that really the case? If not, how does it compare in lightning strikes to other areas in the US?</p>

<lightning>
Is Cape Canaveral really the lightning capital of the US?
PearsonArtPhoto
# Is Cape Canaveral really the lightning capital of the US?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-15)

Today's [SpaceX webcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLNmtUEvI5A) featured an interesting quote, that Cape Canaveral is the lightning capital of the US. Is that really the case? If not, how does it compare in lightning strikes to other areas in the US?

**Tags:** lightning


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2016-06-15. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

It's pretty likely. Florida has the highest lightning strikes of anywhere in the US, as can by seen by [this map from lightningsafety.com](http://lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/lightningmaps/US_FD_Lightning.pdf) This is the area near Florida, with the highest levels.

It's hard to see, but the highest density is actually just to the west of the Cape, but it's not too far of a stretch to say it's the lightning capital of the US.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/UTVc9.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/UTVc9.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I don't know about strikes, but Miami has the most fatalities: http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/2009BAMS2765.1  
> **username_3**: Of course, that could be related to population density.  
> **username_3**: Ah I missed that my source also has a chart by density with Tampa as the highest.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-06-21. Score: -1

Central Florida is a zone of convergence; prevailing winds from the north crash into prevailing winds from the south. The result is a lot of storm activity and a lot of lightning.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Good until you said north and south.  Central Florida is a major area of convergent winds... but it's the East Coast Seabreeze and West Coast Seabreeze colliding, so generally easterly and westerly winds.  The only time Florida (or the southeast) sees synoptic winds with a significant northerly component is during the winter/early spring.  Florida's peak lightning season is the summer :-)  

---

