Lightning thunderstorm 06.15.09. Lightning strikes at McIntosh Lake Image. Boulder County, Colorado. Color Print available in all sizes. Great for your home office or as a gift. Will Liven any decor. Striking Photography by Bo Insogna ( Black and white available in the BW Gallery) Lightning kills more people on an annual basis than tornadoes, hurricanes or winter storms. It is second only to flash floods in the annual number of deaths caused by storm-related hazards. Damage costs from lightning are estimated at $4-5 billion each year in the U.S. Around the earth there are 100 lightning strikes per second, or 8,640,00 times a day.