Lightning damage is the most striking in Texas, at least for the insurance industry.
The average claim in the state was $10,671 last year, the Insurance Information Institute said in a statement. That’s the highest figure among the 10 states with the most claims, and 44 percent more than the national average.
Texas has higher incomes than most other states in the U.S. South, the region with the greatest frequency of strikes. And some of the state’s larger homes are on hills, putting the structures at increased risk along with computers, televisions and other electronic devices that can be zapped inside.
Total insured losses from lightning in the country increased 9.7 percent from 2013 to $739 million, even as the number of claims declined, the institute said.
The average claim amount in the U.S. rose 26 percent Florida had the largest number of claims, followed by Georgia and then Texas. Moisture from the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico can contribute to storms, especially in warm months like June, July and August.