Lightning month: Specialist advises to take lightning seriously [3 people already died after being struck]

In 2020, there have been seven lightning fatalities, and three of them happened this month. A National Lightning Safety Council lightning safety specialist, John Jensenius, told TODAY Parents some facts about lightning. He said that July is the peak month in the US for lightning strikes. 

People should pay attention to the weather forecast

Jensenius said that as soon as you hear thunder's distant rumble, you are already in danger. He advises that people heading out should pay attention to the weather forecast. 

The lightning specialist explained that there is no safe place outside. They want people to get inside a substantial building or a hardtop vehicle. According to him, those are the places that could provide a significant amount of protection. Lightning tends to hit the tallest object in a certain area, more often a tree. However, he suggests that people should never lie down once they hear the rumbling sound of thunder. 

(Photo : unsplash/lee junda)

A lightning expert said to take lightning seriously

Jensenius said that lightning spreads out along the ground surface after striking a tree. He explained that it does not just disappear. A man could have one in 10,000 chances of being struck by lightning. Women, on the other hand, have one in 36,000 chances of getting hit. 

Jensenius said that people should not wait for lightning to start before heading to safety. He said that it is important to take it seriously. 

A child got hit by lightning that killed her

Over the holiday weekend, a nine-year-old girl was struck by lightning in Moultrie, Georgia. On July 3, Nicol Mateo-Pedro was walking with her mom and 15-year-old sister along a trail. Suddenly, it began to thunder. 

According to Colquitt County coroner Verlyn Brock, the three "took refuge" underneath a wooden shelter nearby. Even so, they were still at risk of the dangerous storm. Lightning hit a nearby tree that traveled to the structure that hit both Nicol and her sister. 

Colquitt Regional Medical Center pronounced Nicol dead after she went into cardiac arrest. Brock said that the center transported the girl's sister to the John Still Burn Center in Augusta. On Monday, she got discharged from the center. Thankfully, the mother did not have injuries. 

Lightning struck four, killed two

On Monday, lightning struck four people and killed two of them. WNEP-TV reported that the strike happened in Granville, Township, Bradford County near Troy, Pa., at two in the afternoon. Bradford County coroner Thomas Carman said that the four were standing in an open field beneath a wooden tree stand when the lightning happened. 

They brought the two who survived the incident to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. There are no updates about their current conditions. They reported that the two who died lived in southern Pennsylvania. 

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