Lightning Losses Rise Despite Modest Increase in Claim Frequency
U.S. insurers paid an estimated $1.65 billion in lightning-related homeowners insurance claims in 2025, a 59.4% increase from the $1.04 billion paid in 2024, according to new data released by the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).
The number of lightning-related homeowners claims increased 11.6% to 61,986 claims in 2025, compared with 55,537 claims the previous year.
The increase in total insured losses was driven primarily by rising claim severity rather than a significant increase in claim frequency.
Claim Severity Drives Increase in Insured Losses
The average lightning-related homeowners claim reached $26,616 in 2025, up 42.8% from $18,641 in 2024.
According to Triple-I, higher rebuilding and repair costs, inflation-driven increases in labor and material expenses, and the growing value of home electronics and connected devices contributed to the increase.
“The sharp increase in average claim costs reflects broader trends affecting homeowners across the country, including rising reconstruction costs, inflation, the growing value of property and technology inside the home, as well as litigation abuse,” said Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan. “These trends are making lightning-related losses more expensive and underscore the importance of preparedness and resilience.”
Since 2017, the average lightning claim has increased 146.9%, rising from $10,781 to $26,616.
Texas Generates Highest Lightning Claim Costs
Florida recorded the largest number of lightning-related homeowners claims in 2025 with 5,167 claims, followed by California with 4,211 claims and Texas with 4,188 claims.
While Florida generated the highest claim count, Texas produced the largest amount of insured losses among the leading states at approximately $253 million.
Texas also reported the highest average claim severity among the top states at $60,382 per claim.
More than half of all lightning-related homeowners claims originated from the nation’s ten leading states.
Property Technology Adds to Exposure
Dave Phillips of State Farm said lightning-related losses increasingly involve damage to electrical systems and technology within homes.
“Power surges generated by lightning can damage electrical systems, appliances, computers and smart-home technologies,” Phillips said.
Triple-I noted that lightning losses may be understated because claims resulting from fires ignited by lightning are often classified as fire losses rather than lightning losses. The organization also pointed to lightning’s role in igniting wildfires, particularly in Western states.
The $1.65 billion paid in lightning-related homeowners claims during 2025 represented the highest annual total since 2020, when insurers paid approximately $2.07 billion in lightning losses.
Homeowners Insurance Claims and Payouts for Lightning Losses (2017-2025)
| Year | Value of Claims ($ Millions) | Number of Claims | Average Cost per Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $916.6 | 85,020 | $10,781 |
| 2018 | $908.9 | 77,898 | $11,668 |
| 2019 | $920.1 | 76,860 | $11,971 |
| 2020 | $2,066.7 | 71,551 | $28,885 |
| 2021 | $1,313.1 | 60,851 | $21,578 |
| 2022 | $950.2 | 62,189 | $15,280 |
| 2023 | $1,239.7 | 70,787 | $17,513 |
| 2024 | $1,035.3 | 55,537 | $18,641 |
| 2025 | $1,649.8 | 61,986 | $26,616 |
Year-over-Year Change (2025 vs. 2024)
| Measure | Change |
|---|---|
| Value of Claims | +59.4% |
| Number of Claims | +11.6% |
| Average Cost per Claim | +42.8% |
Long-Term Change (2025 vs. 2017)
| Measure | Change |
|---|---|
| Value of Claims | +80.0% |
| Number of Claims | -27.1% |
| Average Cost per Claim | +146.9% |
Source: Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), State Farm®.
