Lightning strike kills mother, injures child and dog in Florida

A Florida woman was killed Thursday by lightning that also struck her child and a dog, authorities said.

The incident took place Thursday afternoon in Winter Springs, a small town in central Florida’s Seminole County, about 15 miles north of Orlando. Winter Springs Police said it received multiple reports of people who may have been struck by lightning near Trotwood Park at about 2:20 p.m. local time and officers arrived on the scene. Lightning appeared to have “hit a nearby tree, powering the area and hitting the victims,” ​​police said.

The Seminole County Fire Department also responded, immediately providing life-saving assistance to the victims at the scene. A woman and her child were then transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, where the mother died, police said.

“The child and K9 have been seen by medical professionals and are doing well,” the Winter Springs Police Department said in a press release on Thursday. “We are not releasing the names so that the family can mourn this unfortunate event.”

Seminole County Public Schools confirmed that the victims were Keeth Elementary School students and their parent.

“SCPS and Keeth Elementary School remain committed to the safety and security of all students and will continue to implement safety measures in the event of inclement weather,” the school district said in a statement via social media on Thursday. “Additional chaperones will be on campus to support students and/or staff affected by this event.”

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said it was “a tragic day in the town of Winter Springs and the entire community of Seminole County.”

“Please pray for the family who lost a mother, and for everyone involved and affected by today’s storm,” Lemma said in a statement via social media on Thursday. “Our team responded to help the city and family — and remain ready to support the school district and community with any needs.”

The death brings the total number of lightning fatalities in the United States so far this year to 14. Based on the past decade, there have been an average of 18 lightning deaths in the country in mid-August, according to data collected by John Jensenius, a meteorologist with the National Lightning Safety Council who retired from the National Weather Service in 2019 after more than 41 years with the agency.

Lightning is a leading cause of storm-related deaths in the U.S. Lightning strikes can lead to cardiac arrest, although only about 10% of those killed are killed, according to the National Weather Service.

Nevertheless, lightning strikes can leave a person with varying degrees of disability and many long-term health problems, including muscle aches, headaches, cognitive problems, and nausea.

The chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime is 1 in 15,300, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.