Claim severity fuels lightning loss spike

The data, published by the Insurance Information Institute in connection with National Lightning Safety Awareness Week, shows that the 2025 total was driven overwhelmingly by severity rather than volume. The number of claims rose to 61,986 from 55,537, but average cost per claim jumped 42.8% year over year to $26,616 from $18,637. The total value of lightning-related homeowners claims reached its highest level since 2020.