A relative was water-skiing near Winter Haven, FL--no storms in the area, tho' there were clouds--and was hit by lightning. Brain dead. Life support was turned off several days later, when it became clear he wasn't going to recover. When I see thunderheads gathering and the sky darkening, I go inside and stay away from windows. Central FL is a violent weather place, not for the faint-hearted, and I'm glad this excellent article emphasizes the need to respect lightning's power.
34
I can recommend reading Gretel Ehrlich's book "This Cold Heaven". In it she describes the effects of being struck by lightning in the Rockies, how it affected her ability to be at altitude in the alpine, and how she compensated by starting to travel in the arctic.
9
Not exactly hit, but acted as a conductor. Taking a bath in an old iron bathtub in upstate NY, during a thunderstorm. Something on the roof must have been hit. Then down through the pipes and coursed right through me. No injury, but I sure was shaken up.
14
Seven of us from the N Miami Track Club on a field in 1973 - as we were standing in a circle the impact essentially was diminished by the group. All survived by the only bolt of the day from a seemingly blue sky, that was the strangest part. I was 15 at the time and have never forgotten that life can change in an instant, my spiritual awakening!
24
NYT had a story a long time ago about survivors of not only one strike but 2, & think there was one struck even 3 times! That was an amazing story!
13
Curious if climate change will make these lightning storms more frequent and dangerous?
16
I wanted to call out the critical role of nurses in 2 of these accounts - lifesaving and heartwarming. Bravo!
94
Thanks for this interesting article. "It left his body through his two fingers.": I'm more inclined to think that the lightning entered his body from his two fingers, and then followed the path through his elbow, hip and leg. One property of electricity is that it tends to build a path through pointy objects. Therefore it either started from the fishing pole, if it was made of a conducting material, and because he was holding the pole with his right hand it then flowed through them, or it entered his body directly from the ring finger (or the ring itself).
6
When I was 8 years old I was playing softball on a field when it started to rain. The adults grouped us under a tree in the middle of the field to get out of the rain. All of a sudden, there was a tremendous boom and the whole tree turned bright cherry red. We all ran out from under the tree. I was so frightened I started screaming. Amazingly, no one was hurt.
The tree was a maple tree and someone had put a metal pipe in the tree to collect sap. After the strike, the tree looked like someone had taken a giant meat cleaver and cut the tree in two right down to the metal pipe.
The tree was a maple tree and someone had put a metal pipe in the tree to collect sap. After the strike, the tree looked like someone had taken a giant meat cleaver and cut the tree in two right down to the metal pipe.
21
...and to think, I use to get upset back in mid 20th Century when the new color TV console sparked & snapped static when I'd get up from the sofa with the plastic covers to change the channel.
10
While weathermen often can't predict with accuracy specific conditions, radar is more accurate in tracking storm clouds. We should pay attention to those weather reports when planning outdoor activities and not just rely on when we hear thunder. I recently saw a report that said lightning can strike 10 or more miles from a storm cloud! And don't discount the danger of being near open windows or in bathtubs when storms approach. While the percentage of people who are struck by lightning is small, it is not a small number if it happens to you or someone you love.
14
Lightning strikes don't always end well. Once my bro and I were on our bikes across the Susquehanna River some miles from home and a strong thunderstorm came up. We sheltered in an ice cream parlor. During the same storm my dad's coworker lost a kid to a direct lightning hit while they were on their bikes across the river. Initially he lived but had mainly turned to ash and died an agonizing death.
11
I stepped into my living room just as the front window filled with intense white light. Lightening had traveled down the rain-drenched ivy growing on a pine tree a few feet from the window. It passed through part of the wiring of the house, killing a number of small appliances. I was unhurt, but for several days experienced extreme euphoria. I don't know if it was an effect of the lightening, or just a reaction to my narrow escape. This was in Atlanta GA.
33
I was hit by lightening twice. At Home. In Tampa.
The first time, it was ball lightening. There were clouds on the horizon and a distant rumble, but no real storm brewing. I went to the TV to turn it on, when suddenly, a white blue ball between 2-3 feet in diameter, came rolling through the kitchen window, across the room, hitting me and the TV. I was thrown across the room, and the TV innards were completely melted. The entire room crackled with static electricity. I eventually regained my breath.
The second time was less dramatic, but happened so quickly following the first that my friends re-named me Electra.
The first time, it was ball lightening. There were clouds on the horizon and a distant rumble, but no real storm brewing. I went to the TV to turn it on, when suddenly, a white blue ball between 2-3 feet in diameter, came rolling through the kitchen window, across the room, hitting me and the TV. I was thrown across the room, and the TV innards were completely melted. The entire room crackled with static electricity. I eventually regained my breath.
The second time was less dramatic, but happened so quickly following the first that my friends re-named me Electra.
38
That's insane! The worst storms I've ever driven through have been near Tampa.
9
When I was about ten years old I was sitting by an open dining room window in my grandmothers apartment during an August thunderstorm. Lightning came in through the window, passed by me, turned the corner and went out the open living room window. Only effect was to make my hair fly up, but now whenever there is a thunderstorm I head for the indoors and stay away from windows. And I certainly never carry an umbrella with metal parts as I run to cover!
29
Read an intelligent and entertaining novel on this subject: "Man Alive!" By Mary Kay Zuravleff . The stories recounted here are similar to what the main character of this novel encounters, and happily, all ends well.
7
Install a weather radar app on your cellphone and learn how to use it. Most show the lightning watch and warning areas and highlight your location. You can see the storms building from far away and get a better idea of when it is time to seek shelter in a building (preferably one with modern electrical wiring and copper water lines). Don't stand in an open doorway to enjoy the storm. Don't stand under trees to shelter from the rain.
36
I once heard about someone describing his first lightning strike. I thought first? The person was hit twice by lightning. A walking lightning rod.
One thing is certain, if I happen to be outside during a storm, I hope this man is near by - I'll sure be safe, but can't speak for him.
One thing is certain, if I happen to be outside during a storm, I hope this man is near by - I'll sure be safe, but can't speak for him.
12
Florida newbie/former UWSer who endures many sleepless nights because of lightning's brightness (I wear a sleep mask and we have blackout curtains). At a baby shower last year, a tree in our host's yard was hit: blinding us momentarily and shaking us from the powerful energy. No longer do I traipse outdoors for any reason when storms loom. Fun fact: when lightning hits our closest transformer, it looks just like a firework's tail. We see it often, enduring brief power failures regularly during summer. The one good thing about Florida: FPL in our neck of the woods is always speedy with repairs. Comcast, not even close.
10
I didn't know that this is was a frequent occurrence. I thought it was as rare as winning the lottery or getting attacked by a shark. I also didn't know that it could cause paralysis that could cripple you for the rest of your life just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am very sympathetic towards these types of situations because I could not even imagine the pain of around 1 billion volts of electricity hitting you in the blink of an eye.
I will take these stories as a lesson to never take a chance when there is a storm warning and just stay in the safety of my house. I feel horrible for the victims of the article and would not wish this upon my worst enemy. I feel that thunder and lightning storms are taken with a grain of salt to most people because they are unaware and are outside regardless. But this article really proves the danger of thunderstorms.
I will take these stories as a lesson to never take a chance when there is a storm warning and just stay in the safety of my house. I feel horrible for the victims of the article and would not wish this upon my worst enemy. I feel that thunder and lightning storms are taken with a grain of salt to most people because they are unaware and are outside regardless. But this article really proves the danger of thunderstorms.
43
If you live in Florida you pay attention to weather. Golfers and boaters get struck. My wife had an uncle killed by lightening.
25
A sweet, bright sixteen-year-old from my town was struck by lightning while working on a farm. He passed away a few days later. Still, when I tell people to go inside as soon as they hear thunder, the most common response is, "but what are the odds?" The odds don't matter. Your life does.
108
I admire the faith that allows the mother of a boy hit by lightning to think his survival was God's work without wondering why God did not stop the lightning before it hit him. I hope her son has a similar ability to think "Thank you, God", rather than "Why was I struck?"
56
There's a reason for the expression, Out of the Blue. Lightning blew off the corner roof gutter of a building my friends and I were standing next to. No one was hurt, one young woman was crying hysterically. The sound temporarily was deafening. We looked around. The sky in all directions was perfectly clear. Oh, the young woman; her brother was killed by lightening wind surfing in Tahiti.
25
Was driving the family on a trip through Rockies, high up, not that much vegetation, and the weather was 'threatening'. We were going through a pass, and I remember my eye fell on a small lone pine that was ahead, right next to our side of the road. As I was looking at it, maybe twenty feet away, the whole tree turned into incandescent vapor with a truly impressive bang! As close as I ever want to get.
86
I am so glad this article stresses the fact that lightning can strike in the absence of rain or when people otherwise think their risk is low. Many years ago, my brother was driving a delivery truck hours away from home on a wide empty stretch of road between Las Cruces and Silver City, NM. Out there you can see for miles in any direction and it was overcast, there were rain clouds in the distance, no rain. A motorcyclist passed my brother and got a little ahead of him. Just a few seconds later, he saw lightning strike the motorcyclist and throw him from his bike. My brother quickly stopped to help and ran to the man who was on the ground, disoriented. He was confused and didn't understand what happened to him. Within moments he died there in my brother's arms. My brother was able to flag down an electric utility truck passing by who phoned for help. This has taught me that it's hard to assess your true danger from lightning--since then I don't take any chances. It also taught me to be proud of my brother. He was a 20-something kid who stopped without hesitation, not knowing if he knew how to help. Years later he met up with the man's widow and shed light on what happened that day, she had heard different stories. She was grateful to learn her husband was not in pain and did not die alone.
166
Wasn't it Lee Trevino the outstanding golfer who survived three lightning strikes and survived to talk about them?
Shortly after, I was teaching 6th grade in La Jolla, CA when I the mother of one of my students revealed that they had moved from FL after her husband had been killed by a lightning strike in Florida.
I recall the lad writing me a note asking me to ease up on the amount of homework I was assigning as "It clogged his brain." I don't think lightning had anything to do with with his problem.
Shortly after, I was teaching 6th grade in La Jolla, CA when I the mother of one of my students revealed that they had moved from FL after her husband had been killed by a lightning strike in Florida.
I recall the lad writing me a note asking me to ease up on the amount of homework I was assigning as "It clogged his brain." I don't think lightning had anything to do with with his problem.
17
I'm pretty sure lightening did have to do with his brain being clogged -- it killed his father.
51
God is mysterious one minute he's striking your child with a bolt of lightning the next he lets you live.
28
Have never been directly hit. I was once - back when - up high on Santa Fe Baldy when a storm roared in. Dived for the trees. Laid face down and stopped my ears. Don't know if the tree I was under was hit, but was real close. Knocked me out into the meadow where I lay real dazed for a while. It was a long walk down the mountain so I could find some clean jeans.
28
My grandfather was struck twice by lightning. Lived to 94.
After the first time, I learned all about how to tell if you were about to be struck and what to do. To this day, every time I'm out in a storm, I look to see if the hair on my arm is raising.
After the first time, I learned all about how to tell if you were about to be struck and what to do. To this day, every time I'm out in a storm, I look to see if the hair on my arm is raising.
49
Old joke, just a joke, folks
What do you do if you're on a gold course in a lighting storm?
Hold up a one iron. Not even God can hit a one iron!
What do you do if you're on a gold course in a lighting storm?
Hold up a one iron. Not even God can hit a one iron!
31
Don't give up your day job for the comedy circuit!
20
I grew up in Tampa. When we first landed there we lived in the Dana Shores area, on a canal. A neighbor claimed that an area about ½ a mile up the canal had recently been declared the "lightning capital of the world". I never doubted it. That would have been around 1977. I well remember the almost daily ritual of unplugging the television and other devices as afternoon thunderstorms rolled in. I don't remember now if we had any kind of surge protectors but even if we did I think we unplugged almost everything anyway because my parents did not trust those things to actually do anything to suppress a major lightning strike. If a lightning storm is coming here to NYC I still sometimes revisit that habit of unplugging everything I would most want not to blow up.
20
Still best to do carry on luggage when flying into Tampa because the baggage handlers can't go onto the tarmac when there is lightning in the area, and in the summer, that can be every day. Luggage can be held hostage to a thunder storm.
21
Having flashing lightning on the front page makes it almost impossible to read for people with photosensitive epilepsy.
37
Accessibility in content unfortunately is not widely understood a concept.
My sympathies...
My sympathies...
17
I was born in Miami Beach Florida in 1941 BA (before air-conditioning). Almost every summer afternoon we would have a thunderstorm. I learned to love the sound and sight of distant thunder and lightning. It not only meant a beautiful display was coming, it meant a break in the oppressive afternoon heat. It is hard to fear something that you grew up loving and anticipating. I no longer live in Florida, but I still love thunder and lightning--I cannot get enough of them.
22
Teased all day today with ominous clouds over Miami but none of that cleansing, cooling rain here on the beach.
7
Not Florida, Illinois, young and stupid at 21. Didn't wait for the storm to pass. In a thunderstorm with driving rain near the top of a hill with an umbrella that was doing no good as the rain was coming sideways.
Two things saved my life when I was struck, that I was soaked so most of the current ran through my wet clothes and at that instant I had one foot in a puddle. Still I was thrown down, may have passed out for a brief time, and the only effect was no feeling in my left arm for a few hours...
Two things saved my life when I was struck, that I was soaked so most of the current ran through my wet clothes and at that instant I had one foot in a puddle. Still I was thrown down, may have passed out for a brief time, and the only effect was no feeling in my left arm for a few hours...
21
I gotta tell you right now. The moment I first saw the woman who would become my wife, I was struck by lightening.
79
Awwww!! That's very sweet.
18
I think it's the other way around: after the lighteni you count until you here the thunder. For every 5 seconds the thunder is one mile away--5 secs 1 mile, 10 secs, 2 miles and so on.
Maybe I read this piece wrong.
Maybe I read this piece wrong.
15
I believe you and the author are saying the same thing. For every five seconds after seeing the lightning you can assume the lightning and the thunder originated 1 mile away.
11
In 1972 I was on a freshman football team. We were practicing in The midst of a rainstorm. The coach refused to go in until the varsity team went in. As soon as they did we followed.
While we were on the field three members of the freshman team of the neighboring school district died due to a lightning strike on the field. We were due to play them in the scrimmage the next day.
I have a lot of respect for lightning but no respect for high school football coaches
While we were on the field three members of the freshman team of the neighboring school district died due to a lightning strike on the field. We were due to play them in the scrimmage the next day.
I have a lot of respect for lightning but no respect for high school football coaches
166
You bring up a very important point. I have noticed that the youth baseball coaches and umpires have no understanding of the dangers. So many believe they are safe in a dugout. This is true everywhere we travelled in the US. I wonder how we can educate the adults involved in youth sports on this very critical issue.
39
Shocking.
29
Yes, a good Ian Fleming line. ;-) thank you for lightening up a dark subject.
8
@elle: this line of humor strikes me as revolting and amps me up . . ;) [three for the price of one . . . may the lightning gods have mercy by not putting me six feet down thunder . . .]
5
You gotta respect it. I got caught in a parking lot with an approaching thunderstorm. Then I had this odd feeling around me, my arm hair standing on end and I thought "I'm going to get hit!". I crouched down by a car to make a smaller target, grabbed the tire to steady myself and saw electric arcing off my arm like lace. Very strange sensation. No thunderclap. No bolt but I have to think that was a close call.
80
"In a state that counts alligators, sharks and hurricanes among its many dangers, add lightning."
And guns!
And guns!
162
And drunk drivers! And swimming pools!
25
And OLD drivers who cannot see/ react very well!
17
and Senior Citizens who buy cars and refuse the optional directional signal.
17
Great work. I was struck in Orlando in 2015, and am one of the lucky ones without any severe long-term side effects. It's promising to see more credible coverage of information and survival stories for this phenomenon that isn't quite as rare as one would think.
36
Thank you for the detailed and timely article. I live in Tampa (appropriately home to the "Lightning" NHL franchise), and it so happens to be a typically thunderstorm-ridden time of year. An avid competitive equestrian, the stormy weather means much less riding time. I had a startling wake up call last year when an unexpected storm threw a bolt unnervingly close to the riding arena. My level-headed gelding obediently moved quickly to the safety of the nearby stable. Lightning is a real danger in Florida and elsewhere. My veterinarian lost a high-dollar horse, and my father had significant roof damage from a strike. I am concerned that climate change will mean more intense storms, and more lightning, in the years to come.
54
A lucky strike indeed for two of the victims, both of whom were given aid by nurses, one unnamed, the other a pediatric nurse acting like a superhero in rushing in to give 20 minutes of CPR. These angels of mercy are clearly godsends to the victims. May the victims of lightning and those who came to their aid live long and prosper.
119
My daughter was struck here in NC 10 years ago on July 4 weekend. No storms were forecast. It was a pop up thunderstorm. It rendered her legally blind, but thankfully she survived. She couldn't swallow for the first hour after the incident. Can you imagine? A good percentage of folks who are struck suffer serious & lasting eye damage. Who knew?
62
Just wondering - I'm a neuropsychology intern working on cortical visual impairment - is your daughter's visual impairment due to eye damage or brain damage following the strike? I hope my question doesn't seem to out of place but I was wondering about blindness following strikes while reading the article.
36
I have multiple family stories of lightning striking homes - landlines resulted in a family member being shocked by lightning strike to her chimney (as she talked to me about an approaching storm) - destroying all home electronics and knocking bricks out of chimney. I've lost televisions, computers, etc. to lightning strikes over the years in Texas. Glad we're number two for strike incidence.
17
I had a math tutor when I was a kid in 6th grade who would come to my house Tuesday afternoon' s after he finished teaching golf lessons at the Galloping Hill Municipal Golf Course in Union, N.J. One Tuesday, he failed to show up. I wasn't the least bit upset because I hated math. My mother called his house to see what happened and his mom said he had been rushed to the hospital after he was struck by lightning on the golf course. I never saw him again. To this day I stick with the National Weather Service's advice, "If you hear thunder you can be hit by lightning."
42
These few stories were fascinating to read. As a native Floridian, I do not mess with lightning storms. They absolutely terrify me because of their unpredictability. And, as this article mentioned, Florida receives -insane- lightning storms. We had one here in Tallahassee just a few days ago, and it was as though a strobe light was dancing in the sky, similar to the animated image attached to this article. It's amazing to watch safely indoors, away from windows, but viewing them anywhere else is just nightmare fuel. I admire the fearlessness of pedestrians who go from point A to point B in such storms, because I simply duck and cover. Not many things terrify me to the point of petrification, but man, lightning does it for me.
31
Then there's the story of Roy Sullivan a forest ranger who was hit by lightning 7 times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Sullivan
7
And, he died by self-inflicted gunshot wound. What might be the connection there.
14
It is astonishing to me that anyone survives being struck by lightning.
24
Yikes!
7
Does housing with a metal roof enhance ones chances of being struck when sheltered inside the house?
13