JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Storms are a familiar part of summer in the Southeast, but a string of lightning strikes in recent days has resulted in tragedy and heightened awareness about how to stay safe.
In just the last few days, our area has seen lightning strikes kill two teenagers, injure beachgoers, and even spark a house fire. News4JAX spoke with one of our meteorologists to break down what’s behind these dangerous strikes and what people can do to stay safe.
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On Sunday night, a single storm over Putnam County produced more than 500 lightning strikes.
On Friday, two former Ware County High football players, Joey Nelson Jr. and Randall Martin III, were hit and killed by lightning while fishing in an open field in Georgia.
The National Weather Service said the strike happened during a severe thunderstorm just after 9 p.m. A little over an hour later, family members found them unresponsive.
First responders tried life-saving measures, but both teens died at the scene.
Less than 24 hours later, lightning sparked a house fire in St. Johns County. No one was home at the time.
The following day, lightning hit the St. Augustine Beach Pier. Two people were injured — one was airlifted in serious condition.
“Lightning in Florida is as common as oranges on a tree. You know, we get lightning thunderstorms every day in the summertime. That’s why Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, especially across Central Florida, where sea breezes come together,” Collins said.
The Weather Authority Meteorologist Mark Collins said lightning is like a static buildup charge.
“When the cloud tops get over about 20,000 feet, you can usually get the freezing particles to create that electron charge, it creates lightning,” Collins said.
And distance doesn’t always mean safety, according to Collins.
“Lightning can strike when a thunderstorm is 10 miles away. Another way to look at it is, if you hear thunder, you’re capable of being struck. The clear time when it’s safe to go out is at least 15 minutes after a thunderstorm, after the last time you hear thunder,” Collins said.
Collins said the safest place to be is inside a building or car — not under a tree, on the beach, or out on the water.
“If someone is struck by lightning, you can touch that victim. You’re not going to get a charge. Ideally, if they’re unresponsive, you check the airway and you provide mouth-to-mouth or CPR if they’re unresponsive, and first thing you do is call 911,” Collins said.