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Brevard County man’s lightning death marks one of the first in US this year

Death marks first fatality in Florida since September 2022

News 6 meteorologist talks about lightning safety at home, while playing sports

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The latest National Lightning Safety Council’s lightning-related death report shows two people lost their lives as a result of lightning over the weekend.

These are the first two deaths of the year in the U.S. and the first reports for Florida and Pennsylvania.

The first two reports of lightning-related deaths in the United States came from Florida and Pennsylvania. This is the map issued by the National Lightning Safety Council. (National Lightning Safety Council)

FWC officials confirmed Monday that Peter Strong, 39, of West Melbourne, died in a lightning strike while boating on the Indian River in Brevard County. Severe weather was moving over Brevard County at the time of the incident.

According to the NLSC, boating is the third leading activity in lightning deaths in the U.S. . In the last 17 years, over two dozen lightning deaths have been reported while boating. This data includes two young rowers killed last September when lightning struck leaving the vessel capsized.

Lightning Fatalities by Water-Related Activities shows fishing is the leading activity for lightning deaths. Boating is the third leading water-related activity with most lightning death reports. (National Lightning Safety Council)

A total of 52 lightning-related deaths have occurred in Florida in the last 10 years.

Lightning struck a tree Saturday in Pennsylvania causing a large branch to fall onto a vehicle, ultimately killing the driver. This is the first in the state since July 2021 when a 71-year-old man was struck on a golf course. In the last 10 years, there have been eight lightning-related deaths in Pennsylvania.

The two latest reports are above average for this time of year. Typically through April 16, the national average based on the past 10 years of data collected is one. More people are struck and have died in the months of June, July and August, making summer the most active time of year to see these kind of reports.

Based on the last ten years of reports, summer months are most active time of year for lightning-related deaths and is the most active time for people to be outside across the nation. (National Lightning Safety Council)

There were 466 people struck and killed by lightning in the U.S. from 2006-2022.

Further analysis of the data shows almost two thirds of the deaths occurred to people who had been participating in outdoor leisure activities. Despite popular belief that golfing attributes to the most lightning-related fatalities, fishing has proven to have more death reports due to lightning.

Looking at the data over the last 17-years, fishermen accounted for more than three times as many fatalities as golfers. Beach activities, boating, and camping each accounted for about twice as many deaths as golf.

Water-related activities accounts for 34% of lightning-related deaths across the United States followed by sports, and camping. (National Lightning Safety Council)

Outdoor leisure activities still accounts for the most lightning deaths across the nation.

The NLSC analysis of this data shows 2006 to 2022, there were 40 fishing deaths, 29 beach deaths, 25 boating deaths, and 23 camping deaths. Of the leisure activities, water related activities still accounts for 34% of deaths in this category based on the 293 reports made during the same time period.



About the Author
Samara Cokinos headshot

Emmy Award Winning Meteorologist Samara Cokinos joined the News 6 team in September 2017. In her free time, she loves running and being outside.