JONESBORO, Arkansas (KAIT) – Lightning strikes are an annual occurrence, but one state continues to experience devastating consequences.
Arkansas is ranked fifth nationally, up five spots from 2021, according to weather technology firm Vaisala.
There are many reasons for the ranking, most notably weather patterns.
“We detect over 200 million events in the county, from in-cloud to cloud-to-ground lightning. Eight million of those are about 4%, which is not an insignificant percentage,” said Chris Vagasky, Lightning Applications Manager. said.
In the fall of 2022, the Mississippi River will reach its lowest level in a decade.
“Across the Mississippi River Basin, we’ve seen about an 11 percent reduction in lightning from the average,” said Vagasky.
Over most of the plains, thunderstorms are the main source of precipitation. However, in 2022, storm activity has decreased in many regions.
“Thunderstorms produce most of the precipitation that the Mississippi Basin receives. In some locations, we find that 50% to 60% of annual precipitation comes from thunderstorms,” says Vagasky. .
Click here to view the entire Vaisala study.
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