Lightning Sets July Skies Ablaze

Vickie Frantz
By Vickie Frantz, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
July 18, 2012; 8:18 PM
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This photograph of lightning on Mount Tabor on July 4, 2006, is courtesy of Flickr user ocean yamaha.

July is the most active month of lightning fatalities in the U.S. and July 2012 may be one of the deadliest yet.

Lightning deaths across the U.S. average 54 per year according to NOAA. Most of the fatal lightning strikes occur between the months of May and October.

Eight people have been killed by lightning between July 3 to 16, 2012. The most people killed by lightning in the month of July over the past five years was 14 in 2008.

There have been 14 deaths from lightning strikes in the U.S. so far this year.

During the weekend of July 13-15, 2012, three people were killed when they were struck by lightning after seeking shelter under trees.

Friday, in Peachtree City, Ga., 52-year-old Burnette Hayes was killed by lightning during a fishing trip. He was under a tree by the boat ramp at the time of the accident.

Three men on a soccer field in Harris County, Texas, sought shelter under a tree when a thunderstorm approached on Sunday. Lightning hit the tree and the men. One man died instantly, a second man died after being transported to the hospital and the third man is hospitalized and stable, according to Fox News.

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Also on Sunday, during the Whitby Ribfest event in Durham, Canada, 17 people were injured when lightning struck the food service tent. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, according to thestar.com.

The NOAA slogan of "When thunder roars, go indoors," could have prevented these injuries and deaths.

If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to a storm to be struck by lightning. Go inside and remain inside until at least 30 minutes after the last thunder clap.

To be protected from the lightning, seek shelter in a building with enclosed walls, a floor and a roof. A pavilion without walls will not provide protection from lightning.

Lightning Facts and Safety:

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