SWEETWATER COUNTY — Among one of the most agreeable traits of Wyoming is the open skies and starry nights that many enjoy throughout the Cowboy State. However, according to an article by MSN, the skies in Green River and Rock Springs have the highest density of lightning strikes weighted by population in the entire country.
AccuWeather, a media company that provides worldwide forecasting services, “analyzed the cities with the highest numbers of reported lightning strikes relative to the cities’ population densities.”
Green River came out on top as the number one US city with the highest lightning density. Rock Springs followed right behind as second highest.
The article pointed out that the most damage from lightning strikes occurs in the southern Rockies and Great Plains. As a result, these areas experience the most, “deaths, injuries and damage to property.”
The data collected by AccuWeather was based on the, “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) storm events database, which collects records on reported lightning strikes. Although The NOAA database doesn’t contain records for all lightning strikes, as a lightning strike is typically only reported to NOAA if it has caused damage, injury or death.”
