Data: Vaisala Xweather; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Nearly 69,000 lightning strikes hit Davidson County last year, per weather data firm Vaisala Xweather. But the state's most intense lightning last ...

The National Weather Service estimates that 16,000 strikes of lightning have hit the Northstate since Tuesday, sparking 11 fires in Butte County as of Wednesday, including the contained One-Four Fire, ...