More than 150,00 cloud-to-earth lightning flashes were recorded along the East coast during the period 15 January--15 March 1986 in the region bounded by 25¿N--40¿N and 90¿W--70¿W. The majority of the flashes for the two month period occurred over the Altantic Ocean in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream where a peak flash density of 0.7 flashes/km2 was observed approximately 270 km from the Carolina Coast. This relatively sharp peak in the spatial distribution of lightning flashes to earth over the Gulf Stream occurs with a width at half-maximum of approximately 130 km. In the February 1986 data, a close correlation is observed of the maximum lightning flash density contours with the maximum sea surface temperature contours. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990