Lightning strike beach: Lightning strikes one man at Florida beach, injures 7 others What does it feel like to be struck by lightning? The Empire State Building is hit an average of 23 times a year, according to the National Weather Service. Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it's a tall, pointy, isolated object. Nicknamed the 'lightning conductor of Virginia' and 'the spark ranger,' Sullivan's strikes resulted in a scar seared down his right leg and upper body his big toenail was blown off his hair was burned in three separate strikes and he lost his hearing. The retired park ranger was struck by lightning seven times from 1942 through 1977, earning a dubious Guinness Book of World Records title. And stay inside after the thunder has died for 30 minutes afterwards.Roy C. "If they hear thunder, they are within striking distance of a storm. "The key to reducing fatalities is really in planning ahead," Jensenius said. During the early part of the 1900s, that number was as high as 400 fatalities per year. As recently as last year, the average yearly fatalities were about 62 people. Still, Jensenius said the average number of lightning-related fatalities each year is decreasing because people are more proactive about lightning safety. "If they had taken shelter sooner, they would have been safe." "Many of the people involved were involved in normal recreational, day-to-day activities," Jensenius said. The safest place to go at the first rumbles of thunder, which signal striking range, is in a substantial building or a car. A taller object makes it easier for electricity to trace a path to earth from high in the clouds. Height is the determining factor in where it will strike. For instance, metal objects do not attract lightning any more than other objects. An awful lot of energy moves along the ground when lightning strikes."Ĭommon misconceptions can impede lightning safety practices. "It's a question of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Jensenius said. Such accidents can often be avoided by attending to weather warnings and practicing proper lightning safety, Jensenius of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. Texas receives more lightning strikes each year than any other state, about 1.9 million, with Florida in second place with about 1.3 million strikes. But people who spend significant amounts of time outside, particularly in areas where there is a lot of lightning activity, are most at risk. There is no way to predict how a bolt of lightning will behave for any particular person, based on age or height or medical condition. The most fortunate people are those for whom the lightning travels over the skin rather than through the body, leaving them with damage, but largely in the form of burns. Although Adler said these kinds of strikes account for only 4 percent of all reported strikes, they are the most dangerous. Jonathan Adler, an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.Īccording to John Jensenius, a lightning safety expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average lightning bolt carries 20,000 to 30,000 amperes of charge and about 300 million volts.Ī direct hit occurs when all of the lightning's energy is directed through the body or over the body on the skin. "Lightning is a much larger problem than most people think," said Dr. Yet the awesome electrical power of a lightning bolt, whether it hits a person directly or indirectly, can leave significant, lasting physical and mental damage, including burns, vision loss and personality changes. Lightning is second only to floods as the deadliest natural threat, claiming about 58 lives each year, according to data from the National Weather Service. June 5, 2009— - After Tuesday's lightning strike, 12-year-old Chelal Matos' death in Virginia's Spotsylvania County brought the tally of lightning-related fatalities to six this year, including a woman who was killed by an indirect lightning strike in California last month.
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