How likely are you to get struck by lightning in NC? Here are the odds
Lightning kills around 20 people in the United States, resulting in hundreds of injuries each year, according to the National Weather Service.
One of the latest victims was Brynnlee Steger, a 15-year-old lifeguard who was struck by lightning at a public pool in Landis, a town 30 miles northeast of Charlotte, during severe storms on Aug. 7, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Steger, who suffered nerve damage and will require physical therapy, was transported to the hospital, where she was stabilized and later released. She is now recovering at home.
NWS data show North Carolina is among the states that report the most lightning injuries and deaths annually.
From 2020-2022, there were three lightning deaths in the state, including two in Wilmington in 2020, according to the NWS.
Here’s how often lightning strikes occur and your chances of being struck.
The odds of becoming a lightning strike victim
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the odds of being struck by lightning in any given year are less than one in 1 million.
The NWS says the odds of being struck throughout your life are one in 15,300. Some factors can put you at a greater risk of being hit, like working outside or participating in outdoor activities.
There are multiple ways to be struck by lightning
There are five ways lightning strikes people, according to the NWS:
Direct strike: When a person becomes part of the main lightning discharge channel. This usually happens in open areas.
Side flash: When lightning strikes a taller object, like a tree, some of the current jumps to the victim.
Ground current: When the current from a lightning strike travels along the ground. This can affect anyone outside near a lightning strike.
Conduction: When lightning travels over a long distance through metal wires, plumbing, or metal surfaces that extend outside.
Streamers: When a branch of lightning reaches a point around 160 feet off the ground and connects with an upward developing positive charge.
What happens to your body after a lightning strike?
Around one in 10 lightning strikes are fatal.
Still, the electric current from a strike can lead to internal organ damage, burns, and cardiac arrest, according to Dignity Health, a California-based healthcare company.
Signs of a lightning strike include:
Thermal burns
Clothing that is blown apart or burned
Breathing problems
Confusion, disorientation, and memory problems
Personality changes, which can be permanent
Loss of consciousness
Temporary hearing loss
Numbness, tingling, or pain
Weakness or paralysis
Vision problems
How to avoid a lightning strike
Indoors is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm, experts say. Here are tips to reduce your chances of getting struck, according to the CDC:
Don’t bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water.
Don’t touch electronic equipment.
Stay away from windows, doors, porches, and concrete.
Don’t use corded phones.
If you’re outside during a thunderstorm, you should seek shelter immediately. If shelter is not available, the CDC recommends:
Staying away from elevated areas, like hills, mountains, or peaks.
Avoiding shelter under a tree, cliff, or rocky overhang.
Getting out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
Staying away from objects that conduct electricity, like barbed wire or power lines.
Avoiding open spaces.
Separating from others if you are in a group to reduce the number of injuries if lightning strikes the ground.
