LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Willits man died Sunday afternoon following a head-on wreck on Highway 20 near Upper Lake.
The 58-year-old man’s name was not released pending notification of next of kin.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the wreck occurred on Highway 20 east of Blue Lakes Road.
The CHP said that at approximately 12:53 p.m., CHP Officer Jaxin Gallagher and Officer Brian Hanson were dispatched to the crash.
When they arrived, they found that a red Toyota Corolla traveling eastbound and driven by the Willits man, had lost control in a curved section of the highway.
The Toyota crossed into the opposing lane of traffic where it collided with a black GMC Sierra pickup, traveling westbound, driven by John Leone, 83, of Upper Lake, the CHP said.
The CHP said John Leone, and his passenger, Elizabeth Leone, were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital with suspected minor injuries.
The driver of the Toyota succumbed to his injuries on scene, along with two dogs within the Toyota, the CHP said.
The CHP said all of the vehicles’ occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision. Airbags deployed in both vehicles.
No alcohol or drug use is suspected and the cause of the collision is still under investigation, the CHP said.
The California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Northshore Fire Department and All in One Towing responded to the scene to assist with the crash.
Highway 20 was open to one-way traffic control for the duration of the incident, the CHP reported.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Monday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that three projects in Lake County will receive a total of $5,576,031 in funding from the government funding agreement that will be considered by Congress later this week.
Rep. Thompson secured $14,992,105 total for projects in California’s Fourth District.
“Community Project Funding requests allow our region to receive funding from the federal government for projects that will help improve our communities and invest in local priorities,” said Thompson. “I worked with partners in Lake County to identify the projects that would most benefit from funding and improve our community. I look forward to seeing this funding signed into law so these projects can receive this funding and head towards completion.”
The projects in Lake County are:
• $4,116,279 for the Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex. • $959,752 for the In-Lake Water Treatment System at Clear Lake. • $500,000 for the Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project.
Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex
The Clearlake Burns Valley Sports Complex project will build a community sports and recreation center, expanding the community’s access to sports and recreational amenities and establishing the city as a destination for events and tournaments.
At present no youth sports programs can have tournaments in economically disadvantaged Lake County due to a lack of facilities.
This project will rectify that situation and drive new visitor spending in Lake County. It will bring in 40,000 annual visitors to the city, resulting in 10,000 hotel room stays and bringing in $8.6 million per year to the local economy.
In-Lake Water Treatment System
The In-Lake Water Treatment System at Clear Lake project supports the Clean Water Act by preventing the pollution of Clear Lake’s drinking water at the source.
It uses an oxygenation system to combat the growth of harmful algal blooms in Clear Lake before the water goes into the water treatment plant, reducing in-plant treatment costs and preventing the formation of toxins that cannot otherwise be removed and would pass untreated into the drinking water of Clear Lake residents.
Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project
The Big Valley Fish Habitat Improvement and Groundwater Recharge Project encompasses two sub-projects: 1) The development of the Adobe Creek Conjunctive Use Project and 2) the rehabilitation of the Kelsey Creek Detention Structure.
Both projects work in tandem to improve fish habitat and aquifer recharge throughout a priority groundwater basin, Big Valley Groundwater Basin.
Specifically, these projects will enhance summer flow and riparian habitat in Adobe Creek, Highland Creek and Kelsey Creek ultimately improving fish spawning habitat, especially as it relates to the state-listed threatened Clear Lake hitch.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors will hear an update on the status of the Clear Lake hitch this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 5, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 824 9615 9038, pass code 093564. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,82496159038#,,,,*093564#.
In an item timed for 1 p.m., the board will receive a presentation from California Department of Fish and Wildlife providing an overview of Clear Lake Hitch Summit meeting, explanation of the relative population estimate, and related hitch topics.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife senior environmental scientist Felipe La Luz will present on the Clear Lake hitch, whose population is still threatened despite last year’s observations of thousands of the fish in local creeks.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve continuation of emergency proclamation declaring a shelter crisis in the county of Lake.
5.2: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold.
5.3: Approve continuation of an emergency declaration for drought conditions.
5.4: Approve continuation of proclamation of the existence of a local emergency due to pervasive tree mortality.
5.5: Approve continuation of proclamation declaring a Clear Lake Hitch Emergency.
5.6: Approve continuation of local emergency by Lake County Sheriff/OES Director Rob Howe for the 2024 late January, early February winter storms.
5.7: Adopt proclamation designating the week of March 10 to 16, 2024, As All Americorps Week in Lake County.
5.8: Approve travel to Phoenix, Arizona exceeding 1,500 miles for Deputy County Administrative Officer Casey Moreno and Emergency Event Fiscal Manager Dakhota Hockett, to attend the Government Finance Officers Association Leadership Academy from March 24 to 29, 2024.
5.9: Approve public defender contract amendment No. 12 between the county of Lake and Lake Indigent Defense LLP for the purpose of replacing Thomas Feimer with Edward Savin as individual and/or partner and authorize chair to sign.
5.10: Approve Human Resources recruitment process for the Special Districts administrator and Social Services director.
5.11: Approve closure of all Lake County Behavioral Health Services locations on Wednesday, April 24, for a mandatory training from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
5.12: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and June Wilson-Clarkin, LMFT For specialty mental health services in the amount of $50,000.00 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.13: Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes on Jan. 9.
5.14: Approve leave of absence request for Social Services Employee Angela Wynacht, from March 2, 2024, through July 10, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.15: Approve eighth amendment to contract between county of Lake and Ewing and Associates for the Child Welfare Services parking lot located on South Forbes Street in Lakeport, for the amount of $4,800 from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.16: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District, Board of Directors, approve budget transfer allocating money from Gorman Rupp 6” Pump to Eddy Pump Sewer Pond Dredge in object code 62.74.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:04 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of March 10 to 16, 2024, As All Americorps Week in Lake County.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Sitting as the Lake County Housing Commission, approve the first amendment to the regulatory agreement and declaration of restrictive covenants for the Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program and authorize the chair to sign.
6.5, 9:45 a.m: Consideration of an update on Lake County Community Risk Reduction Authority’s inclusion in biomass aggregation pilot project.
6.6, 1 p.m.: Consideration of presentation from California Department of Fish and Wildlife providing an overview of Clear Lake Hitch Summit meeting, explanation of the relative population estimate, and related hitch topics.
6.7, 1:30 p.m.: Consideration of presentation of the 2022-2023 Weights and Measures Report.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of changing the committee assignments.
7.3: Consideration of amending the Emergency Medical Care Committee by-laws .
7.4: (a) Consideration of priorities for FY 2025 Community Project Funding; and (b) discussion and direction to staff on which priorities to further pursue for potential submission to Congressman Thompson.
7.5: Consideration of Amendment No.3 to the agreement between county of Lake and Willow Glen Care Center for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services with no change to the contract maximum for fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 and authorize the board chair to sign.
7.6: Consideration of Rule 235 unrepresented grievance procedure.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Public employee evaluation: Behavioral Health director .
8.2: Public employee evaluation: County counsel.
8.3: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) County negotiators: Susan Parker and Pam Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Unified School District Board will gather for a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss a proposal to cut several classified and certificated positions, from the head groundskeeper to the school psychologist.
The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in the boardroom at the district office, 2508 Howard Ave.
The board will first go into a closed session to discuss the discipline/dismissal/release of an employee before the open portion of the meeting begins.
Superintendent Matt Bullard is recommending the board approve two separate resolutions to implement the layoffs beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
In the case of the certificated staff, the first resolution calls for laying off nine full-time positions: three instructional coaches, three permanent substitutes, one permanent substitute counselor, one school psychologist and one director of supplemental support.
The second resolution, relating to classified staff, calls for discontinuing seven positions: The head groundskeeper, the after school coordinator, one skilled maintenance worker, one bus monitor, one day care assistant and two paraprofessionals.
Neither of the resolutions is accompanied by a report that explains the situation leading to the recommendations for cutting the positions.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lakeport man struck by a vehicle during a February hit and run has died of his injuries.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office confirmed the death of 27-year-old Omar Romero of Lakeport.
On the night of Feb. 14 Romero was walking along Highway 20 east of Bridge Arbor Drive near Upper Lake when he was hit by a 2007 Ford Escape SUV driven by Oscar Rosas, 45, of Clearlake.
After the crash, Rosas fled the scene. He turned himself in the following day and was arrested for felony hit and run.
Authorities said Romero suffered blunt force trauma and a broken neck in the crash.
Sgt. Joel Skeen told Lake County News that the CHP is still recommending the felony hit and run charge against Rosas to the District Attorney’s Office.
“We are still conducting the investigation and there may be other charges in addition if the criteria is met,” Skeen said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will discuss making changes to its recruitment for the police chief job and also discuss city road projects.
The council will meet Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
On Tuesday, Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia will ask for the county’s authorization to extend a housing allowance of $1,000 per month not to exceed $12,000 to the successful candidate in the city’s police chief search in an effort to mitigate the challenges associated with the tight housing market and high interest rates.
Current Police Chief Brad Rasmussen is expected to retire by year’s end. He’s also a candidate in the race for District 4 supervisor.
Also on Tuesday, Public Works Director Ronn Ladd will give the council an update on the roads program and future projects.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the City Council’s special and regular meetings on Feb. 20; approval of application 2024-009, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Lakeport Camp and Shine event; approval of application 2024-010, with staff recommendations, for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People event approval of application 2024-011, with staff recommendations, for the 2024 Clear Lake Bass Tournament; approval of application 2024-012, with staff recommendations, for the Memorial Day Craft Fair; and receipt and filing of the 2024 local agency biennial notice regarding the city of Lakeport's Conflict of Interest Code.
The council also will hold a closed session to discuss a case of potential litigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s representatives in Congress and the California Assembly easily won their races in the Tuesday primary.
In the race for Assembly, Cecelia Aguiar-Curry (D-Fourth District), now serving as Assembly majority leader, is seeking reelection.
The California Secretary of State’s Office reported that Aguiar-Curry received 100% of the vote, with 89.8% of precincts partially reporting as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reported that, with 48 of 48 precincts reporting, Aguiar-Curry had received 4,425 votes in the Tuesday primary.
In the race for California’s Fourth Congressional District, Mike Thompson once again came out on top.
The Democrat from St. Helena, who has long represented Lake County in the U.S. House of Representatives, led his primary field with 63.1% of the vote, or 62,027 ballots cast, as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, with 94% of precincts partially reporting, the Secretary of State’s Office reported.
The rest of the field includes Republican John Munn, 31.2%, 30,622 votes cast; Democrat Andrew David Engdahl, 4.7%, 4,577 votes cast; and Niket Patwardhan, no party preference, 1%, 1,104 ballots cast.
In Lake County, Thompson received 3,821 votes, or 55.60% of the vote, with 48 of 48 precincts reporting, followed by Munn with 2,751 votes, or 40.03%; Engdahl with 240 votes, or 3.49%; and Patwardhan with 60 votes, or 0.87%, according to Registrar of Voter tallies posted early Wednesday.
Thompson and Munn will now advance to the November general election.
“I was born, grew up, and still live in our district and I consider it the greatest honor of my life to represent our beautiful region in Congress,” Thompson said in a Tuesday night written statement. “I am greatly humbled by the outpouring of support that I received and I take seriously the responsibility entrusted in me from my constituents.
“Our district and our country face many great challenges. From combating climate change to keeping our communities safe to strengthening our economy and lowering costs for families and businesses, I will continue working every day to meet the needs of our district. That is why I have been endorsed by mayors, supervisors, sheriffs, business owners and community leaders from across our district,” he said.
“Together, we can continue working to find real solutions to the challenges we face today, and ensure that our district remains one of the best places to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and retire with dignity,” Thompson continued.
He added, “Thank you to the voters of our district for your support and trust in me. As we move towards November, be assured that I will continue to do everything in my power to support our district and protect our shared values.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, will meet on Wednesday, March 6.
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, located at 15900 Moose Lodge Lane in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 830 2978 1573, pass code is 503006.
Agenda items include an update on the Clearlake Oaks Consolidated Lighting District update, crosswalk safety at East Lake School and Highway 20, and general plan and Shoreline Area Plan update.
Other agenda items include updates on Spring Valley, commercial cannabis and the Cannabis Ordinance Task Force, and reports from Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Mike Ciancio and Supervisor EJ Crandell.
ERTH’s next meeting will take place on April 3.
ERTH’s members are Denise Loustalot, Jim Burton, Tony Morris and Pamela Kicenski.
For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council will have a fire mitigation fee workshop along with its regular meeting this week.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for the workshop before the regular meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The pass code is 140064. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,89314579275#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
At the start of the regular council meeting, there will be presentations from the Lakeshore Lions Club to the city and the Highlands Senior Center, a proclamation declaring March 2024 as March For Meals Month and a presentation of the Clear Lake Integrated Preparedness and Resilience Plan for Dreissenid Mussel Management.
Under business, the council will consider Resolution 2024-10 which designates the city manager or his/her designee to act on its behalf to engage with California Native American tribes as part of government to government tribal consultation under applicable law.
The council also will consider a fiscal year 2025 Community Project Funding request to Congressman Mike Thompson for the city’s Burns Valley Sports Complex.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants, minutes of the Jan. 10 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting, continuation of the director of emergency services/city manager proclamation declaring a local emergency for winter storms; award of a contract for engineering design services for the Dam Road Roundabout Project with BKF Engineers in the amount of $757,459; and approval of a leave of absence without pay for maintenance worker Johnny Miskill.
The council also will hold a closed session with legal council regarding an anticipated case of litigation, discussion of a lawsuit against the city by the Koi Nation of Northern California and a performance evaluation of the city manager.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice’s Missing Persons DNA Program, or MPDP, has identified over 2,000 missing persons since its establishment in 2001.
Attorney General Bonta also announced, with Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D – Elk Grove), a new bill to ensure the DOJ will be able to continue to provide important forensic DNA services with funding through updates to Proposition 69, the “DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.”
Assembly Bill 3042 (AB 3042), authored by Assemblymember Nguyen and sponsored by Attorney General Bonta, would remove the sunset date from Proposition 69, the “DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.”
Proposition 69 directs funding from criminal fines to support essential crime-solving DNA programs both at DOJ and local law enforcement agencies.
“I am very proud of the important work that is done in our Missing Persons DNA Program and our Bureau of Forensic Services,” said Bonta. “While this milestone is not a celebration, it is important to take a moment to acknowledge what our team has accomplished in the process of bringing closure to the families that have been impacted by tragedy. Nothing can bring a loved one back, but we hope this helps them find peace. This program is just one of the essential services provided by our Bureau of Forensic Services. The Bureau receives crucial funding through Proposition 69, and AB 3024 would ensure that Proposition 69 remains in place to support our efforts to solve crime through forensic services. I want to thank Assemblymember Nguyen and our law enforcement partners for all their work toward this important goal.”
“I would never feel safe knowing someone who has harmed me or my loved ones are still out there,” said Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen. “I am proud to author AB 3042 in collaboration with Attorney General Bonta to continue key funding to better support public safety in our communities as well as exonerating the innocent.”
Voters approved Proposition 69 in November 2004. Proposition 69 specifically directs money from criminal fines to be allocated towards funding the CAL-DNA Data Bank program which helps to solve violent crimes both at local public crime laboratories and within the DOJ itself using the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS.
In another provision of Proposition 69, the CAL-DNA Data Bank also assists with the identification of missing and unidentified persons, including abducted children, using separate Missing Person CODIS databases. Historically, DOJ has received more than $74 million through Prop. 69 over a span of two decades.
However, this proposition included a sunset date that would terminate funding collection after twenty years. AB 3042 seeks to eliminate this sunset date altogether and establish a steady source of revenue outside of the general fund that will support DNA testing programs at both state and local levels.
DOJ's Missing Persons DNA Program conducts autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) DNA testing, Y-STR (Y-chromosome, male-specific) testing, and mitochondrial DNA testing related to missing and unidentified person investigations.
It compares DNA from missing persons and unidentified human remains with DNA from personal articles belonging to reported missing persons and DNA from relatives of missing persons.
The MPDP services are provided at no cost to investigating law enforcement agencies and coroner’s offices. Parents and other biological relatives of missing persons are neither given an incentive to provide a DNA sample, nor will they be coerced or compelled to provide a sample.
Further, DNA samples from relatives of missing persons are only searched against the DNA samples from missing persons and unidentified human remains to identify their missing relatives. They are never searched against any criminal or offender DNA databases.
The DNA profiles from missing persons and unidentified human remains are uploaded to the database for searching and comparison with the DNA samples from missing person cases throughout the nation, not just in California.
It’s been a warm day, maybe even a little humid, and the tall clouds in the distance remind you of cauliflower. You hear a sharp crack, like the sound of a batter hitting a home run, or a low rumble reminiscent of a truck driving down the highway. A distant thunderstorm, alive with lightning, is making itself known.
Each giant spark of electricity travels through the atmosphere at 200,000 miles per hour. It is hotter than the surface of the sun and delivers thousands of times more electricity than the power outlet that charges your smartphone. That’s why lightning is so dangerous.
Yet, estimates of U.S. lightning strikes have varied widely, from about 25 million a year, a number meteorologists have cited since the 1990s, to 40 million a year, reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That complicates lightning safety and protection efforts.
I’m a meteorologist whose research focuses on understanding lightning behavior. In a new study, my colleagues and I used six years of data from a national lightning detection network that we believe has become precise enough to offer a more accurate picture of lightning strikes across the U.S. That knowledge is essential for improving forecasts and damage prevention.
How much lightning strikes the US
To get a clearer picture of how often lightning strikes, it helps to define what a lightning strike is.
Imagine looking out a window at a thunderstorm with cloud-to-ground lightning nearby. The lightning appears to flicker.
A lightning flash is all the cloud-to-ground lightning that occurs within 1 second and a 6-mile radius. Each flicker is a lightning stroke. Each stroke can hit one or more ground strike points, and there can be multiple strokes in the same channel.
Lightning is a large electrical discharge trying to dissipate the electricity in a cloud, so if there is a lot of electricity built up, there can be a lot of lightning to get rid of it all.
The basic ingredients for thunderstorms are warm and moist air near the ground with cooler, drier air above it and a way to lift the warm moist air. Anywhere those ingredients are present, lightning can occur.
This happens most frequently near the Gulf Coast, where the sea breeze helps trigger thunderstorms most days in the summer. Florida in particular is a hot spot for cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area alone had over 120,000 lightning strokes in 2023.
The Central and Southern U.S. aren’t quite as lightning prone, but they tend to have more thunderstorms and lightning strikes than the North and West of the country, though lightning in the West can be especially destructive when it sparks wildfires.
The cool waters of the Pacific Ocean, meanwhile, tend to mean few thunderstorms along the West Coast.
Counting lightning strikes
To be able to count how much lightning is hitting the ground and where it is doing so, you have to be able to detect it. Luckily, cloud-to-ground lightning is fairly easy to detect – in fact, you may have done it.
When lightning flashes, it acts like a giant radio antenna that sends electromagnetic waves – radio waves – around the world at the speed of light. If you have an AM radio station on during a thunderstorm, you may hear a lot of static.
The National Lightning Detection Network uses strategically placed antennas to listen for these radio waves produced by lightning. It’s now able to locate at least 97% of the cloud-to-ground lightning that occurs across the U.S.
The number of lightning strikes varies year to year depending on the prevailing weather patterns during the spring and summer months, when lightning is most common. There isn’t enough accurate U.S. data yet to say whether there is a trend toward more or less lightning. However, changes in lightning frequency and location can be an indicator of climate change affecting storms and precipitation, which is why the World Meteorological Organization designated lightning as an “essential climate variable.”
Better data can boost safety
Meteorologists and emergency management teams can use this new data and our analysis to better understand how lightning typically affects their regions. That can help them better forecast risks and prepare the public for thunderstorm hazards. Engineers are also using these results to create better lightning protection standards to keep people and property safe.
Lightning strikes are still unpredictable. So, to stay safe, remember: When thunder roars, go indoors.