In June, a 15-year-old was standing under a tree in Central Park when it was struck by lightning. The electrical current transferred from the tree to his chain necklace, giving him minor burns, but
he survived
.
The next day, a
lightning strike killed a tourist
as he stood in ankle-high water at a Central Florida beach.
And just this month, lightning strikes killed a man who was
playing golf in New Jersey
, a man
at an outdoor archery range
also in New Jersey and the
Norwegian Olympic skier Audun Groenvold
.
Lightning has killed about 20 people and injured many others across the country each year over the last decade,
according to the National Weather Service
. Florida, Oklahoma and Texas are among the states
where the lightning strikes have been most concentrated
, according to the weather data firm Vaisala Xweather.
At least 12 people have been killed in the United States by lightning strikes this year, according to the Weather Service and
the National Lightning Safety Council
. Global warming also generates
more favorable conditions for severe thunderstorms
, which can bring heavy rains and cause extensive damage.
Here are tips from meteorologists and other weather experts on how to protect oneself during a thunderstorm.
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