2 killed by lightning in North Carolina while clearing debris from Isaias

Two men who survived Hurricane Isaias' 85-mph winds were killed as they were trying to clean up the destruction the storm left behind in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Isaias caused a path of downed trees and limbs, in which homeowner Ralph Thomas Wallace, 77, and his 42-year-old friend were cutting when they were struck by lightning.

Isaias pounds Carolinas

The lightning strike also caused damage to the house next door on Bradley Overlook Road when a small attic fire broke out, though no one in the house was injured, Port City Daily said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

The two men were both pronounced dead at the scene mid-morning on Wednesday.

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Wilmington, in southern Brunswick County late Monday night. The area endured heavy rains, a flooding storm surge, widespread power outages and deadly tornadoes.

At least 12 deaths due to lightning have been reported across the U.S. so far in 2020. Based on the past 10 years, the U.S. averages 18 lightning deaths through Aug. 5, according to John Jensenius, lightning safety specialist for the National Lightning Safety Council.

The latest fatalities were the first lightning-related deaths in North Carolina since Aug. 23, 2019.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.