(WAVY) — We've had some impressive light shows within our thunderstorms recently, as typically, June through August is peak lightning season. That's also when 70% of lightning strike fatalities occur. 

So far this year, there have been 12 fatalities in the United States. The 10th occurred just last week in Cape Charles. Then two more occurred in Florida this past weekend.

Over the last decade, 20 people on average per year have been fatally injured from a lightning strike. That amounts to roughly 10% of people who are struck each year. Florida leads the ranks with 51 deaths in the past decade. North Carolina comes in third with 11 and Virginia places 16th with three deaths.

Lightning is five times hotter than the sun at 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. With approximately 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per year in the U.S., we need to understand lightning. 

Let's start with where it comes from.

Strong updrafts carry water droplets high into a storm where they freeze. Downdrafts pull that ice back down, they collide with water droplets and electrons shear off, creating a negatively charged storm base and positively charged top. The ground is also positively charged. Opposites attract, and once a threshold is reached, the negative cloud base sends out a charge to the positive ground, creating lighting. That's why tall objects are more likely to be struck — they're closer to the cloud. About 75% of lightning occurs within the storm cloud itself, but cloud-to-ground is still common and is the most dangerous to us.

When you hear thunder roar, head indoors and when you see a flash, dash inside. Lightning can strike 25 miles away from its parent storm. 

Once inside, stay away from windows and avoid touching electrical equipment, plumbing or concrete, as a current can easily travel through them. 

If you can't get indoors, a car is also safe as lightning will travel through the metal frame to the ground. Just don't touch any metal in your car.

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