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Lightning Strike at Lakeland Florida 4 July Celebrations: 1 Dead

by Amy Judd | July 4, 2009 at 03:01 pm

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A lightning strike at a Lakeland Florida 4th of July celebrations has killed one person and eighteen others have been taken to hospital.

About 80 people were gathered outside a home in Lakeland when the lightning hit a wooden pole barn; the celebration was part of a church function.

Crews transported 12 patients to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, four to a Plant City hospital and three more patients to a medical center in Bartow. Their conditions, ages, and genders weren't immediately released.

The name of the person killed in the lightning strike was also not released.

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Rory Cripps

at 12:29 on July 5th, 2009

I was driving home from Lakeland the other day, and the rain was so intense that I, literally, couldn't see the road, let alone the vehicles in front of me. Along with the rain, came the intense lightning. The area around Lakeland and Tampa is the lightning capital of America. I've even heard that the only other place in the world that's subjected to more lightning strikes is somewhere in Africa. It's scary! Throughout the past two weeks, we've had a number of lightning storms down here and a toronado passed by my home a few days ago. It's nothing new for this time of year, and throughout the storm season it's quite common to hear of people being struck by lightning. And the reason why people get struck by lightning is because they don't take it seriously and seek shelter, immediately, at the first flash of lightning or sound of thunder. We've been experiencing a drought here in Florida and we thank goodness for the rain--but unfortunately, along with the rain comes the lightning.

patgarcia

at 15:21 on July 4th, 2009

An unexpected tragic ending for a celebration

elvisjj

at 16:34 on July 4th, 2009

Now that's just really sad. What is the chance of lightning striking a human being? I mean the odds of that happening is like the odds of winning the lottery but it does happen and in this case it's just sad.

neilabraham

at 19:04 on July 5th, 2009

That is so tragic. My prayers are for the family and friends of the victims.

I used to get excited whenever a lightning storm was coming until last November a huge storm with tornadoes and hail hit my area and caused major damage, unroofing thousands of houses and completely flattening hundreds of homes and buildings. It was a very scary experience. So now whenever I hear thunder - I alert my family and bring them under cover until the storm passes.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service (NOAA), lightning strikes an average of 400 people every killing about 80.

NOAA Brochure:
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/pdfs/Mark_trail.pdf

I have since read that lightning can strike "out of the blue" and hit the ground many miles away from a storm in clear sunshine.

Here's some additional information about "Out of the Blue Lightning":
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg/crh_boltblue.php
http://www.thunderbolttechnology.com/understanding02.html

Neil Abraham
http://abrahammedia.com

DMoore (not verified)

at 20:53 on July 5th, 2009

I actually know these people. The church is the church where my ex-girlfriend attends. Her dad is the pastor. They are the most amazing people I have ever known and truly the most loved people in my life. This is a huge tragedy and a very hard pill to swallow. Especially, one that hits so close to home. Please pray for them...

158

at 10:11 on July 6th, 2009

In Florida lightning kills more people than any other weather events.

Rory Cripps

at 15:42 on July 7th, 2009

It's amazing! I do contract work for the county school system in the Tampa Bay Florida area. Often times I'll be out back by the playgrounds. Many of the schools, here, are out in the Boonies, surrounded by swamps and covered by large Live Oak trees. I was at one school today and the kids were playing out in the basketball court while the teachers sat under a cluster of large oak trees. The sky got dark and gray, but instead of heeding the warning signs, the teachers just sat there and the kids continued to play out in the open basketball court. About two minutes later, the rain came down along with the lightning. The teachers finally got up and it took about five minutes for all the kids to clear the court. Is it any wonder that people get killed by lightning in Florida?

Mortal

at 08:14 on July 8th, 2009

In some parts of the country, it is a pleasure to watch thunderstorms, especially with lightning putting on a nice light-show. However, I have also been to Florida and even went to basic training there, years ago. The military doesn't play games there. While recruits were normally forbidden to walk on the grass, signs were posted around the base telling them that in the event of a thunderstorm, they should hurry into the nearest shelter. The cloud-to-ground lightning there can be outrageous and frightening, and it is nothing to take your chances with.