The Correlation between Lightning Activity and Precipitation

Three major flooding events impacted Southeast Texas, including the Houston Metropolitan Area, in April 2016, August 2017 (Hurricane Harvey), and May 2019. This research project focuses on the relationship between lighting activity and precipitation. The events occurred within the confines of the Houston Lighting Mapping Array Network (HMLA) which will serve as the primary source for the data used in this study. The objectives of this study are to: a) determine the magnitude of the correlation between lightning flash rates and precipitation rates in space and time and b) identify the hotspots of lighting activity and maximum accumulated rainfall in and around the Houston Metropolitan.