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Lightning Fatalities in 2008

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There were 29 lightning fatalities in 2008 Lightning deaths occurred in 19 states. 
Florida had the misfortune to lead the nation with 5 fatalities, followed by Colorado with 4
No. Date Day State City Age Sex Location Activity Victim
1 1/11 Fri SC Aiken 56 F Outside, near building Taking a break from work Brenda F. Baker
2 2/5 Tue OH Lewisville 60 M Open Field Tending cows Neil Christman
3 5/22 Thu AR Little Rock 17 M Under tree Standing outside house Wendell Piggee
4 5/24 Sat KS Vassar 20 M Under trees Camping Nathan Sullivan
5 6/7 Sat CT Madison 23 M Pavilion Seeking shelter from rain Mauricio Bugatti
6 6/11 Wed IA Curlew 20 M In yard at home   Galen Smith
7 6/14 Sat PA Tobyhanna 17 M Lake Swimming Thomas Golden, Jr
8 6/15 Sun FL Bristol 6 F Under Tree Camping Faith Pristine Jackson
9
6/20
Fri
MA
Haverhill
47
M
 Under trees Hiking in park Ralph Potter
10 6/21 Sat FL Choctaw Beach 21 M In boat on bay Fishing Lucas Alford
11 6/21 Sat FL Choctaw Beach 17 M In boat on bay Fishing Logan Alford
12 6/23 Mon FL Arcadia ? M Under tree Clipping tree ?
13
6/24
Tue
RI
Bristol
42
M
 On jetty Fishing Edgardo Torres
14
6/26
Thu
OH
Collins
51
F
 In yard Under tree walking Debra Meltzer
15
7/3
Thu
CO
Westcliffe
16
M
 Outside open Riding bicycle Landon Dillard
16
7/5
Sat
SC
Columbia
19
M
 On lake Riding jetski Korey Moore
17
7/6
Sun
 VA
Virginia Beach
23
F
 On beach Jogging Stephanie Dawn Kirpes
18
7/7
Mon
WI
 Watertown
16
M
 Family farm   Ben Richter
19
7/7
Mon
NC
 Lea Island
16
M
 Under beach house Boating-fishing/taking shelter Lucian Ellis
20
7/13
Sun
MS
 Centreville
38
M
 Under tree Talking with others Keefer Haynes
21
7/13
Sun
FL
 Pensacola Beach
25
M
 Near Water Seeking shelter from storm, had been on boat (not available)
22
7/15
Tue
TX
 Grand Prairie
22
M
 Open/near lake Camping, packing vehicle to leave Dexter Leonard
23
7/18
Fri
ME
 Standish
22
M
 Outside house Retrieving eye glasses Anthony Clarke
24
7/18
Fri
ME
 Standish
28
F
 Outside house Retrieving eye glasses Krysta Bearor
25
7/24
Thu
CO
 Fort Collins
35
M
 Under trees   John Szlemko
26
 7/24 Thu CO Fort Collins 33 M Under Trees   Marc Vernon Richard
27
7/27
Sun
NJ
 Sandy Hook
38
M
 On beach   Pablo Garcia
28 7/28 Mon CO Creede 23 M Open mountain ridge Shepherd riding mule ?
29
9/14
Sun
MO
 LaDue
49
F
 Outside house, under tree Tree branch struck by lightning fell on her Joan Dankner

 

Lightning Fatalities for 2008 by State

lightning fatalities map, see list above

2008 Lightning Fatality Demographics
State
Gender
Age
Day Of Week
By Month
AR
1
 Male 23 (79%) 0- 9 1  ( 3%) Sun 6 (21%)   2008 2007 2006  NORMAL*
CO
4
 Female 6 (21%) 10-19 7  (24%) Mon 3 (14%) Jan
1
0
1
0
CT
1
   20-29 10 (34%) Tue 3 (10%) Feb
1
0
0
0
FL
5
   30-39 4  (14%) Wed 1 ( 3%) Mar
0
1
0
0
IA
1
   40-49 3  ( 10%) Thu 5 (17%) Apr
0
1
3
2
KS
1
   50-59 2  ( 7%) Fri 4 (14%) May
2
5
5
7
MA
1
   60-69 1  ( 3%) Sat 6 (21%) Jun
10
14
10
14
ME
2
   70-79 0  ( 0%)     Jul
14
10
16
18
MO
1
   80-89 0  ( 0%)     Aug
-
9
7
13
MS
1
   unknown 2  ( 7%)     Sep
1
5
4
6
NC
1
           Oct
-
2
2
1
NJ
1
           Nov
-
0
0
0
OH
2
           Dec
-
0
0
0
PA
1
           Year
29*
47
48
62
RI
1
                    
SC
2
                    
TX
1
                    
VA
1
                    
WI
1
                    
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. * - Known Fatalities to date

 

Note: Monthly normals are based on the 30 year average of 58 deaths per year (1978-2007) multiplied by the average monthly percentage of annual deaths from 1959-1994 as documented in NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS SR-193 with December 1961 plane crash fatalities

Fatality statistics for past years