Wayne Was NJ's 'Lightning Capital' Of 2022: Report

WAYNE, NJ — If it felt like Wayne's skies constantly rumbled last year, it wasn't just you. The township, along with Paterson, shared the title as New Jersey's "lightning capital" in 2022, according to a new report.

Vaisala — a Finnish company that develops products for measuring weather and environmental data — released its 2022 Annual Lightning Report on Jan. 3. According to Vaisala's data, Wayne and Paterson recorded greater "lightning density" — the number of lightning events per square kilometer — than any part of New Jersey last year.

Events include in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. Wayne and Paterson sustained 39 lighting strikes per square kilometer last year, according to Vaisala.

Wayne (65.11 square kilometers) is nearly triple Paterson's size (22.5 square kilometers) in terms of overall area. But at Vaisala's reported rate, lightning would have struck the municipalities about 3,400 times last year.

New Jersey, overall, endured 137,163 lightning strikes in 2022 — 6.07 per square kilometer. The lightning density in Wayne and Paterson was 542.5 percent greater.

However, Wayne got off easy compared to the nation's "lightning capital." That title goes to Four Corners, Florida, which sustained 474 lightning events per square kilometer last year.

The odds of getting struck by lightning are low — less than 1 in a million during any given year — and nearly 90 percent of victims survive, according to the CDC. But the worst-case scenarios aren't unfounded. Two people in New Jersey died from lightning strikes in 2021: a man on a golf course in Burlington County and a 19-year-old lifeguard at a beach in South Seaside Park.

Lightning has killed five people in New Jersey since 2012, according to the National Weather Service.

Thunderstorms: What You Can Do

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management offers tips for safety and preparedness.

Basic preparations can include checking your yard for hazards, such as dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall; recognizing warning signs, including darkening skies or increased wind; and paying attention to thunderstorm watches and warnings.

To estimate the distance of a thunderstorm, count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Then divide that number by five to determine the distance to the lightning in miles.

Follow the 30/30 rule. If you can't count to 30 seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder, go indoors. Stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

If you're outside during a storm:

• Stay away from bodies of water. If you are boating or swimming, get to land immediately.
• Try to get into a building or car, but avoid convertibles.
• If no structure is available:
  • Find a low spot away from trees, fences and poles. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding.
  • Stay away from natural lightning rods such as golf clubs, tractors, fishing rods, bicycles or camping equipment.
  • If you are in the woods, find an area protected by a low clump of trees. Never stand underneath a single large tree in the open.
• As quickly as possible, make your body the smallest target possible and minimize your contact with the ground.
  • Squat very low to the ground with your hands on your knees, only touching the ground with your feet.
  • Don't lie down.

If you're inside a vehicle:

• Pull safely onto the shoulder of the road, away from any trees that could fall.
• Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.
• Avoid flooded roadways.
• The rubber tires won't protect your car from being struck by lightning. But the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle will provide increased protection if you aren't touching metal in the car. You are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.

View Vaisala's full 2022 lightning report.