The good news in the CDC’s analysis of deaths from lightning is that such deaths are down dramatically over the last 40 years. The bizarre thing is that deaths from lightning strikes disproportionately affect men for some reason.
From 1968 to 2010, deaths from lightning in the United States decreased by 78.6% among males and 70.6% among females. During this 43-year period, a total of 3,389 deaths from lightning were recorded, an average of 79 per year. The highest yearly total of deaths from lightning (131) was recorded in 1969, and the lowest total (29) was recorded in 2008 and again in 2010. During the period, 85.0% of lightning deaths were among males.
In a 2011 story on the preponderance of men among lightning victims, National Weather Service lightning safety expert John Jensenius attributed this discrepancy to the way men and women treat the risk of lightning,
Men take more risks in lightning storms. Men are less willing to give up what they’re doing just because of a little inclement weather and will continue to engage in pastimes that make them vulnerable, such as fishing, camping and golfing.