Torrential rain, thunder, and lightning interrupted Labor Day weekend and brought this year’s national number of lightning deaths to 21. The 21st person to be killed by lightning in 2014 was an unidentified boy who was struck while swimming in a Pennsylvania creek. A friend with him was also struck, but survived. Three other people were injured in a weekend lightning strike in New York City while they were walking on a beach in the Bronx. The extent of their injuries is not known, but they are being treated at a local hospital.
51 Deaths a Year
Over the last 30 years, an average of about 51 people have been killed by lightning every year, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The majority of victims are male. So far this year, victims of lightning strikes have been largely in southern states from California to Florida, with four deaths in the Great Lakes region.
Victims were engaged in a variety of activities from picking blueberries to swimming to building a treehouse when they were struck. Most were either near a tree, in an open exposed area, or near a body of water. Others were doing such mundane tasks as walking to a house or sightseeing when they were killed. One man was riding a motorcycle in New Mexico when he was killed.
Though it is recommended to stay indoors in a building with walls and closed windows during a lightning storm, it’s best to stay away from landline phones with cords, plugged in electrical equipment, as well as doors, windows, and porches. It is also safest to avoid concrete walls and floors, and avoid washing your hands or taking a shower.
Odds are Slim
The NWS said that though lightning is a major cause of storm-related deaths, the odds of being struck by lightning are about 1 in 1.9 million. Only about 10 percent of people struck by lightning are killed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
