National Lightning Safety Council
@lightningsafety.bsky.social
Lightning safety professionals working to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property from lightning.
Every Clemson game has been delayed by lightning this year. Our John Jensenius spoke about the delays and why they were necessary. www.postandcourier.com/sports/clems...
Why has Clemson faced three lightning delays in three weeks?
Three weeks, three weather delays. Clemson football has been impacted by lightning in every game so far this season. Are these delays really more common in 2026 than in years past, and if so, why?
postandcourier.com
Lightning delays are annoying. Lightning strikes are worse. Here’s why officials stop the football game even when the sky looks clear:
Game delays for lightning may be annoying, but they save lives – a sports meteorologist explains the risk
Players have been injured by lightning during games, and a strike to the stands could hurt a lot of fans.
theconversation.com
Lots of lightning delays at college football games this weekend and lots of people complaining about them. I had some words to say. Me, in @us.theconversation.com: theconversation.com/game-delays-...
Game delays for lightning may be annoying, but they save lives – a sports meteorologist explains the risk
Players have been injured by lightning during games, and a strike to the stands could hurt a lot of fans.
theconversation.com
A 19-year-old was killed by lightning near the summit of Mount Timpanogos in Utah this morning. This is the 2nd lightning fatality in Utah and the 16th in the U.S. this year. If a storm approaches while hiking, head towards a safe place immediately. kutv.com/news/local/1...
19-year-old killed in lightning strike on Mount Timpanogos, several others injured
A 19-year-old man died and multiple people were injured after lightning struck a small structure near the summit of Mount Timpanogos, according to the Utah Coun
kutv.com
A 20-year-old Michigander was struck and killed by lightning in Florida on Tuesday, September 8. This is the 15th U.S. lightning fatality of 2026 and the 6th in Florida. Lightning frequency decreases in the fall, but still poses a risk to anyone outside. When thunder roars, go indoors!
A football and baseball coach from Ohio had died after being struck by lightning while mowing his lawn. This is the 14th U.S. lightning fatality of 2026 and the 13th in Ohio since 2006. Lightning fatalities typically decrease in September, but last year we saw 5. www.wtrf.com/top-stories/...
90% of people who are struck by lightning survive. It appears he wasn’t directly struck but was impacted by ground current or a side flash from the tree - the most common injury mechanisms for lightning. Call 911 if someone is struck. m.youtube.com/shorts/UcavS...
Man survives lightning strike caught on surveillance video
YouTube video by NBC 6 South Florida
m.youtube.com
A jet skier near Fort DeSoto Florida was struck and killed by lightning yesterday. This is the 13th U.S. lightning fatality of 2026 and the 5th in Florida. Boating is the 3rd leading cause of lightning fatalities in the U.S. When thunder roars, go indoors! www.wtsp.com/article/news...
3 people have been killed by lightning this year after leaving a vehicle to walk into a building. Fully-enclosed metal vehicles are lightning-safe places. If you’re in a car and a thunderstorm is over you, wait there until it ends!
National Lightning Safety Council@lightningsafety.bsky.social · 2mo agoVery sad news this evening out of South Florida, where a woman and her 2-year-old daughter were struck and killed by lightning. These are the 11th and 12th lightning fatalities in the U.S. of 2026. Florida now has 4 fatalities this year. www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/t...
Very sad news this evening out of South Florida, where a woman and her 2-year-old daughter were struck and killed by lightning. These are the 11th and 12th lightning fatalities in the U.S. of 2026. Florida now has 4 fatalities this year. www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/t...
Two people were struck by lightning on a beach in Virginia yesterday. One of them died. This is the 10th known lightning fatality of 2026 and the first in Virginia. Beach activities have led to 37 lightning deaths since 2006. www.wavy.com/news/local-n...
Don’t let lightning catch you off guard. ⚡Follow the 30-minute rule: wait at least half an hour after you see lightning or hear thunder before heading back outside. Remember, when thunder roars, go indoors!
Crazy story out of Ohio, where 16 inmates were sent to the hospital after a lightning strike at a correctional facility. abcnews.com/US/16-hospit...
16 hospitalized after lightning strike at Ohio correctional facility
A lightning strike at Grafton Correctional Institution sent 16 incarcerated people to hospital for treatment Wednesday night, according to a statement from the facility.
abcnews.com
Our member Daile Zhang and ACLEnet developed the largest publicly available database of lightning incidents in Africa. You can learn more about it in her new article in @us.theconversation.com. theconversation.com/lightning-st...
Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over
Most lightning strike survivors have no visible scars, but their invisible injuries often go untreated.
theconversation.com
We have seen an above average number of lightning fatalities in July, with a 7th reported fatality today. A woman who was walking on a beach in North Carolina was struck and injured by lightning on July 25. Sadly, she has passed away. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/n...
Lightning knocks beachgoer unconscious in NC and injures companion, rescuers say
Morning lightning strike knocks beachgoer unconscious at Wrightsville Beach, and injures someone standing near her, North Carolina rescuers say.
charlotteobserver.com
😮 We’ve just been notified that we will be receiving a Special Award at the @ametsoc.org Annual Meeting in Denver for 25 years of dedicated public education and advocacy, saving countless lives by significantly reducing lightning fatalities nationally and globally.
😮 We’ve just been notified that we will be receiving a Special Award at the @ametsoc.org Annual Meeting in Denver for 25 years of dedicated public education and advocacy, saving countless lives by significantly reducing lightning fatalities nationally and globally.
This is the 8th lightning fatality of 2026 and the 6th in New Jersey since 2021. July is the peak of lightning season and lightning fatalities in the United States. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. When thunder roars, go indoors!
We've received reports of another lightning fatality in Wisconsin this morning. This would be Wisconsin's 2nd lightning fatality of 2026 and 3rd in the last two years. The victim was trimming trees when a thunderstorm developed nearby. www.wmtv15news.com/2026/07/27/2...
29-year-old man dies after suspected lightning strike in Whitewater
Whitewater Fire and EMS responded around 10 a.m. to the 400 block of South Elizabeth Street in the City of Whitewater for a person stuck in a tree, possibly struck by lightning.
wmtv15news.com
We've received reports of another lightning fatality in Wisconsin this morning. This would be Wisconsin's 2nd lightning fatality of 2026 and 3rd in the last two years. The victim was trimming trees when a thunderstorm developed nearby. www.wmtv15news.com/2026/07/27/2...
29-year-old man dies after suspected lightning strike in Whitewater
Whitewater Fire and EMS responded around 10 a.m. to the 400 block of South Elizabeth Street in the City of Whitewater for a person stuck in a tree, possibly struck by lightning.
wmtv15news.com
There have been at least 14 hiking-related lightning fatalities since 2006. Know the forecast before you leave for your hike. Plan to be back to your car before thunderstorms develop. If you hear thunder, see towering clouds, or see lightning, head back to a safe place!
National Lightning Safety Council@lightningsafety.bsky.social · 3mo agoThere was a lightning mass casualty incident on Mt. Blue Sky in Colorado this afternoon. There were nearly 100 lightning events detected within 15 miles of the summit between noon and 1:30 pm MT today. Colorado ranks 5th in the country for lightning fatalities in the last 10 years.
There was a lightning mass casualty incident on Mt. Blue Sky in Colorado this afternoon. There were nearly 100 lightning events detected within 15 miles of the summit between noon and 1:30 pm MT today. Colorado ranks 5th in the country for lightning fatalities in the last 10 years.
Chris Bianchi@bianchiweather.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW: One killed, 4 others injured after a lightning strike atop Mt. Blue Sky earlier today. This is Colorado's first lightning fatality since Sep. 2025, when two hikers were found dead in far SW Colorado. Devastating news.
This is the fifth known U.S. lightning fatality of 2026 and the first in Utah since August 2024. 13 hikers have been killed by lightning since 2006. Know the forecast before your hike and head to a safe place when you see building clouds or hear thunder! kutv.com/news/local/h...
Hiker dies after being struck by lightning in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Authorities have identified the hiker who was fatally struck by lightning in Little Cottonwood Canyon Saturday mornoing.A hiker died Saturday morning after bein
kutv.com
July 16 represents the date when the U.S. typically reaches the 50% mark for annual lightning fatalities. We’re currently at 4 fatalities in 2026, so we are trending towards a below average year! Last year we had 8 fatalities after July 16, so keep lightning safety in mind!
If you want to start developing a lightning safety plan, a good starting point is the @nws.noaa.gov Lightning Safety Toolkits (www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-toolkits). You can also reach out to members of the National @lightningsafety.bsky.social Council. ⚡🧪🧵 (7/14)
Toolkits for County, Communities, Organizations and Large Venues
weather.gov
Lightning protection and detection are critical safety measures at military arsenals.
Weather History@weatherhistory.bsky.social · 4mo agoJuly 10th, 1926: At the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, lightning struck one of the explosives storage structures during a thunderstorm and started a fire. As a result, thousands of tons of munitions detonated. At least 21 people were killed, and dozens were injured.
We are sad to report that an 8-year-old girl from Illinois was killed by lightning in her back yard on July 3. This is the 4th lightning fatality of 2026 and the first in Illinois since 2018. www.lasallecountyil.gov/DocumentCent...
Hello new followers! We’re the National Lightning Safety Council, a 26 year old group working to minimize lightning casualties and damage in the US and globally. We’ve got meteorologists, an ER doctor, athletics trainer, and lightning protection specialist. lightningsafetycouncil.org
Lightning Safety - National Lightning Safety Council
Lightning Safety
lightningsafetycouncil.org
