Lightning strikes group on Florida's Anna Maria Island, injuring 1 person
Monday's incident is the third lightning strike in Florida in a week, resulting in an injury or fatality. This week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
Lightning Safety Awareness Week kicks-off Monday
As many Americans start to sweat it out during the first major heat wave of the summer, another concern to be aware of is lightning. It’s more common during the summer months, and it’s important to know what to do when you see it. The National Weather Service kicked off its Lightning Safety Awareness Week that hopes to keep people safe. President and CEO of Weather Guard Lightning Tech Allen Hall joined FOX Weather on Monday morning to talk about lightning safety.
HOLMES BEACH, Fla. – One person was injured on Monday afternoon when a group of people under a cabana on Anna Maria Island in Florida were hit by lightning.
Holmes Beach Police Chief William L. Tokajer tells FOX Weather that one person was taken to the hospital with an injury after being struck by lightning on Monday afternoon.
Holmes Beach police officers responded to the 68th Street beach access around 4 p.m. for a call about a group of six people under a cabana struck by lightning.
FILE - Florida, Miami Beach, lightning storm over ocean.
(Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Tokajer said when police arrived, one person was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The others left on their own accord.
The chief said this was the first lightning strike injury of the summer for Holmes Beach in Manatee County, Florida, part of Anna Maria Island.
Monday's incident was the third lightning strike in Florida in a week, resulting in an injury or fatality. This week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
Florida is considered the lightning capital of the U.S. with nearly 300 lightning strikes per square mile per year, according to recent studies.