Florida recorded most lightning deaths in 2021, all of them along Gulf Coast - Tampa Bay Times

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As it often does, Florida recorded more deaths from lightning strikes than any other state in 2021. What’s different this year is a surprising decline in the number of deaths nationwide, due perhaps to training in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and a slow decline in the number of agricultural workers, authorities say.

Only 11 people died from lightning strikes last year in the United States, the lowest number since 17 deaths were recorded in 2020 and just one-third of the 15-year average of 36 deaths a year.

The Sunshine State had four deaths from lightning strikes in 2021. The rest: Two in New Jersey and one each in Pennsylvania, Georgia, California, New York and Wisconsin.

All four Florida deaths were men or boys along the Gulf Coast:

• Walker Bethune, 17, was killed at the beach on Marco Island on July 17.
• Brent Jerome, 41, was killed at the beach on Sanibel Island on July 24.
• Don Drew, 59, was killed while golfing in St. Petersburg on Aug. 25.
• Jesus Olvera-Aguilar, 19, was killed while working on a roof in Lakewood Ranch on Sept. 7.

A chart of lightning fatalities in the United States in 2021. [ National Lightning Safety Council ]

Floridians are most prone to lightning strikes because of the state’s population, its location close to the tropics its seasonal thunderstorms, and the popularity here of outdoor activities, said John Jensenius with the National Lightning Safety Council, motto: “When thunder roars, go indoors!”

Florida usually has the most lightning strikes per square mile, too, including in 2021. Only Texas averages more total lightning strikes each year, but the Lone Star State is more than three times bigger than Florida — 268,597 square miles compared to 65,758 square miles. The two states rank No. 2 and No. 3 in population, behind California.

A single death from lightning is tragic, said Jensenius, who specialized in lightning safety during a 41-year career with the National Weather Service. But 11 fatalities is so low a number he credits a growing awareness that lightning can kill.

“People know there is no safe place when a thunderstorm is in the area,” Jensenius said. “If you can hear thunder, you’re in striking distance.”

Florida recorded the most deaths from lightning strikes by far between 2011 and 2020 with 49 fatalities. Eleven other states, meanwhile, recorded not a single death from lightning. [ National Lightning Safety Council ]

CPR education is spreading, Jensenius noted, and that can save the lives of lightning victims. In addition, the number of people working outdoors in agriculture has declined steadily since the 1950s with increases in productivity and falling interest in crops and livestock as a work choice.

U.S. lightning deaths in the mid-20th century sometimes topped 400 a year.

Also surprising in the 2021 figures, Jensenius said, is that not a single person out fishing in the U.S. died from a lightning strike. Like beachgoers, fishers are among the main victims year after year.

One factor not involved in the 2021 decline is the number of lightning strikes.

Data from Vaisala, a company that operates lightning sensors throughout the country, shows there were at least 194 million lightning events last year in the United States — about 24 million more than in 2020. The top states for lightning counts: Texas with 42 million, Florida 14.6 million, Louisiana 11 million, Oklahoma 10 million and Kansas 8.9 million.

“Considering there are between 20 and 25 million lightning strikes in the United States each year, each one a potential killer, to see just 11 fatalities we’re extremely lucky,” Jensenius said.

Last year, 2021, had 11 documented lightning fatalities. This is a record low. More at: https://t.co/shCElhDug2 pic.twitter.com/wDUhgzjs4i

— NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) January 7, 2022

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Florida recorded most lightning deaths in 2021, all of them along Gulf Coast - Tampa Bay Times
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