Why is Florida the lightning capital of the US?

A woman and her niece are the latest people to get struck by lightning in Florida waters. Over the past few weeks, a couple from South Carolina were struck by lightning, and before that, a teenager from Georgia suffered the same fate in another area.

It’s no coincidence these cases occurred within weeks in Florida. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention dubs Florida the “Lightning Capital” of the United States, with over 2,000 lightning-related injuries occurring in the past 50 years.

While the odds of being struck by lightning are low, the chances go up if you’re in Florida. The state is surrounded by water and is located where storms pummel through and the state sees around 70 to 100 thunderstorms a year, according to Florida Disaster, a government website.