 | 2009: 32 lightning fatalities in US
» Local Angle: Did you know that all thunderstorms produce lightning and it can occur year round? So far this year, there has been 1 Pennsylvania death, a 53-year-old man who was struck and killed by lightning while doing yardwork on August 5 at his Bethlehem home.
Sept. 24, 2009 - More than 70 percent of deaths due to lightning occur between June and August, according to John Jensenius of the National Weather Service. |
| Lightning strikes about 400 people each year, according to NOAA. | |
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Sept. 24, 2009 - More than 70 percent of deaths due to lightning occur between June and August, according to John Jensenius of the National Weather Service.
SO FAR this year, 32 people have died in the United States after being struck by lightning with the last fatality occurring on Sept. 25, according to NOAA. The two states with the highest number of deaths are Florida (5) followed by Florida (3). An easy way to remember what to do is a slogan created by the National Weather Service - When thunder roars, go indoors.
Annually, lightning strikes more than 400 people in the United States. About 60 of those die, and many more are left with devastating and permanent disabilities. The National Weather Service studies lightning fatalities in order to know where to best target its lightning education efforts. The two states with the highest number of deaths are Florida (5) followed by Florida (3). And men are struck far more often than women, sustaining about 85 percent of lightning deaths. Men under 40-years-old account for 60 percent of all lightning fatalities.
New for its 2009 lightning safety campaign, NOAA has produced a dramatic video public service announcement by Ohio college student Ellen Bryan. Bryan's sister, Christina, was seriously injured in a lightning strike nine years ago. A Miss America hopeful, Ellen Bryan has made lightning safety her personal pageant platform.
NOAA also has published a new brochure, Lightning Safety for You and Your Family, which provides basic facts about lightning and information on how to stay safe during potentially deadly thunderstorms. It provides information for people participating in organized outdoor activities and identifies actions to take if someone is struck by lightning. The brochure is available on NOAA's lightning safety website.
To avoid being struck by lightning, the National Weather Service recommends:
1. Get into a fully enclosed building or hardtop vehicle at the first rumble of thunder;
2. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last thunder clap;
3. Monitor the weather forecast when you're planning to be outdoors;
4. Have a plan for getting to safety in case a thunderstorm moves in;
5. Do not use a corded phone during a thunderstorm unless it's an emergency; cell phones are safe to use;
6. Keep away from plumbing, electrical equipment and wiring during a thunderstorm.
Editor's note: Portions of this story were first published on June 26, 2009. 
