© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
In South Florida, where the Everglades meet the bays, environmental challenges abound. Sea level rise threatens homes and real estate. Invasive species imperil native plants and animals. Pesticides reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, but at what cost? WLRN's award-winning environment reporting strives to capture the color and complexity of human interaction with one of the most biodiverse areas of the planet.

Florida #1 in Lightning Deaths, Fishing the Most Lethal

NOAA.gov

Florida ranks number one in the country in lightning strikes per square mile. So, it should be no surprise that Florida leads in lightning deaths as well.

But what’s eye opening to John Jensenius, a lightning specialist with the National Weather Service, is that 82 percent of the lightning deaths are male.

Also surprising is what they were doing when hit by lightning.

“People assume golf is typically the activity people are involved in,” Jensenius said. “And in reality, fishing sees three times more fatalities than golf. In terms of sports activities even soccer ranks higher than golf.”

He says there’s been a 75 percent drop in golf related lightning deaths since 2001 in part because of a high profile NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) lightning safety campaign in the golf community.

Still, Florida ranks #1 in the country in lightning deaths.

“If we look at say the last 10 years or so, Florida is ranking number one in the country with 52 deaths,” Jensenius said. “That’s about an average of a little over five deaths per year.”

Jensenius said there is no safe place outside when a lightning storm is approaching. It’s best to get inside a building or hard-top car.

He said the biggest killer is that people wait too long to seek cover.

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit .

Bobbie O’Brien has been a Reporter/Producer at WUSF since 1991. She reports on general news topics in Florida and the Tampa Bay region.
More On This Topic