As many Americans start to sweat it out during the first major heat wave of the summer, another concern to be aware of is lightning. It’s more common during the summer months, and it’s important to know what to do when you see it. The National Weather Service kicked off its Lightning Safety Awareness Week that hopes to keep people safe. President and CEO of Weather Guard Lightning Tech Allen Hall joined FOX Weather on Monday morning to talk about lightning safety.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A Colorado man celebrating his honeymoon in Florida has died after he was struck by lightning last week.
According to the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, the 29-year-old was struck by lightning while standing in ankle-deep water on a beach in New Smyrna Beach on Friday afternoon.
FILE VIDEO – A video posted on Wednesday shows lightning hitting a tree merely a few feet away from a home in southwestern Florida. (Courtesy: Dalton Rose)
Officials said that CPR was immediately initiated, and other life-saving measures were performed after being struck.
He was brought to a local hospital to be treated but died from his injuries.
The victim was one of three people who were struck by lightning in Florida on Friday.
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FILE VIDEO – A Florida teenager is recounting his miraculous survival after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm on Monday, July 15, 2024.
New Smyrna Fire officials said two people playing golf at the Club at Venetian Bay golf course were indirectly hit.
It’s unclear if the two golfers were injured, as they declined EMS transport to the hospital.
New Smyrna Fire Department spokesperson Adam Sarwi told FOX Weather it’s not normal to have three people hit by lightning strikes in one day, but “it is not uncommon when someone is struck by lightning that there are others during the same storm.”
This is the first known lightning fatality of the year in Florida and the fourth in the U.S., according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
Florida is considered the lightning capital of the U.S. with nearly 300 lightning strikes per square mile per year, according to recent studies. The state leads the nation in lightning deaths, according to the NLSC.
On Monday, a group of six people under a cabana in Holmes Beach were hit by lightning. Officials said at least one person was injured.
