Today the National Lightning Safety Council shared their data of lightning-related deaths from 2022, and one of those deaths happened in Kentucky. 19 people died in the contiguous United States and Puerto Rico from June through September.
Nearly 80% of these fatalities (15 out of the 19) were men, and 11 out of the 19 deaths happened during leisure-related actives. Those numbers are close to the averages for the last 17 years, too, which you see in the graphs from NLSC.
Here's how the NLSC broke those down: "The deadly leisure activities included boating (5), tourism (3), camping, going to a beach, and flying a remote airplane. Work-related activities led to 6 fatalities and included roofing, lawn care, military exercises, window replacement, fixing a truck, and loading tools in a van. The remaining 2 fatalities were attributed to the victims’ normal daily routine and included walking young children home from school and walking a dog."
It's critically important to go inside any time you hear thunder. Lightning can strike outside the thunderstorm from which it originates. If you are looking for more information about lightning safety, you can click here to see recommendations from the National Lightning Safety Council.
