How accurate are LightningTrax™ reports and LightningExpress™ Service? LightningTrax reports and LightningExpress Service are 95% accurate in reporting the presence (one or more strokes detected within a 1 mile radius) or absence (zero strikes detected within a 5 mile radius) of lightning. 

What is a LightningTrax report? LightningTrax is an address and date(s) specific verification of the occurrence of lightning on the earth's surface. LightningTrax reports make use of the precision performance of the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN™) to accurately validate the presence or absence of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.

How much does a LightningTrax report cost? A basic LightningTrax reports sells for $95 and includes the written report for up to a 72 hour search period, a print-out of lightning strike data and a full color map.  Please see our Pricing page for full details.

How soon will I get my LightningTrax report after ordering? LightningTrax reports are purchased on-line. Upon submitting your request, the USPLN database is accessed and the report created "while you wait. Most reports are available with 1 minute of your request and the reports can be downloaded and/or stored on-line in your password protected account.

What areas of the country are LightningTrax and LightningExpress available for?
Both products are available for any location/address within the contiguous United States.

How far back in history can I get a LightningTrax report or LightningExpress Service? The ENTLN archive data are available from May 15, 2009 forward.  If you need verification of a date prior to this time, please contact us.

I entered one (1) mile as my desired radius on my LightningTrax order and the report shows a 5 mile radius was searched.  Why is this? The precision accuracy of ENTLN allows for affirmative confirmation of the presence of lightning by searching a one mile search radius around a specific latitude/longitude coordinate (address).  Because lightning can strike nearby and induce a surge over a large area, ENTLN first checks for direct strikes by searching a one (1) mile radius and if no lightning is found, the radius is auto-enlarged to a five mile search radius to detect any nearby lightning that could have impacted the address of interest.  This provides the most accurate lightning reports possible.

I've purchased a LightningTrax report which shows no lightning detected within 5 miles of the address.  The property owner insists there was a storm. What do you suggest? Lightning and thunder can be seen and heard from significant distances, depending on visual and audible attenuation factors (humidity, cloud cover, ground clutter [trees, buildings], etc).  The property owner may have observed distant lightning or a variety of cloud lightning (lightning that does not come in contact with the earth's surface) overhead.  We also suggest double checking your facts as to the date of the search and the address of the property in question.

What if my lightning claim goes to court? We stand behind every lightning report we produce.  If you need technical expertise to assist in a legal case, see our experts page [hyperlink to experts page] or contact us for phone consultation, deposition and court appearances. Hourly fees quoted upon request.

Do you have an expert witness or CCM (Certified Consulting Meteorologist) on staff who can assist me in a legal process? Yes, we have many qualified meteorologists, including three Certified Consulting Meteorologists on staff.  Hourly fees quoted upon request.

I've obtained a lightning report from your competitor and the strikes don't match up exactly. Why is this? ENTLN lightning stroke detection occurs through the scientific measurement and precise location plotting on the earth's surface. Most times, lightning reports from different lightning networks will be highly similar; however, any given lightning strike may be measured slightly differently.  An "apples-to-apples" comparison would be to compare the binary results (presence or absence of lightning) of a given lightning report from each network. While ENTLN is the newest and most state-of-art lightning detection network, customers of lightning verification reports should not make the assumption that ENTLN output is ground truth and the other network is "inaccurate" – and vice versa.

My organization needs to verify large quantities of lightning claims. What products do you have to meet this need? For verification of 100+ claims per year, we recommend our LightningExpress Service.  LightningExpress allows direct access to the ENTLN database of lightning strikes, all for one set annual fee. Contact Lynne Lawry at 888-255-7099 or at lynnelawry@weatherforensics.com for details and a quote.