The number of people killed by Sunday’s storms in the Washington area has risen to four.

Carl Henn of Rockville, who was hit by lightning, died Tuesday night.

Police now say they believe it was also lightning that killed Warren Douglas Smith, 63, of Annapolis.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police say Smith was riding a jet ski a half mile south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. He was racing back to port as the storm blew in when lightning hit near him, electrocuting him, police believe.

Friends say Carl Henn, 48, was a decided environmentalist, who was working in a garden when the storm hit.

Henn ran for Rockville City Council at least three times, they say. He never won, but he was more involved in his community than most.

“It is absolutely an incredible loss. he was one of the very few positive influences in the city–an activist, but a positive activist,” said Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio.

Henn was at a picnic at King Farm when the fierce storm suddenly hit. He was celebrating the harvest from the three community gardens whose creation he spearheaded.

dale mccarthy was there:

“It was hail at the top of that hill, winds that were beyond belief,” said Dale McCarthy who was there. “It was a microburst kind of situation, it was a tornado touchdown basically and we thought everyone had run to their cars.”

But Henn had ridden his bike, and never made it to safety.

“We found Carl on the ground,” Dennis McCarthy said. “And he had no pulse and was not breathing, so Andre and I yelled to somebody else to call 911.”

But they kept getting busy signals. They finally drove Henn to the hospital in a neighbor’s car.

His friends said it was inexcusable that they couldn’t get through to 911.

Carl Henn was the ideal public citizen, friends say, admired for his civic work, and deeply mourned by his wife, Carol, and daughters, Jessica and Allison.

In addition to Henn and Smith, the other victims of the storm include 6-year-old Eric Lawson, who was killed when a tree fell on him at a Sterling recreation center.

And Michelle Humanick, 44, who died when a tree crashed into her minivan in Beltsville, pinning her and her mother.

ABC 7 News reported on Lawson’s and Humanick’s deaths Sunday night at wjla.com.

via Henn’s Death Raises Storm Victims to 4 | ABC 7 News.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police say lightning killed an Annapolis man caught on a personal watercraft during a thunderstorm near the Bay Bridge.

Officials say 63-year-old Warren Douglas Smith and another man were riding two personal watercraft Sunday evening a half-mile south of the bay Bridge when a storm blew in. Smith was pronounced dead at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Natural Resources Police say a preliminary autopsy determined Smith died of electrocution. Investigators believe he was not hit directly by lightning but electrocuted by a nearby strike. Smith’s companion, 65-year-old Elmer Sappington, was 75 to 100 feet away on another watercraft but was not harmed.

A final autopsy is expected to be conducted in the next month.

via Maryland Storm Death Attributed to Lightning, | WJTV.com.

ST. JOE BEACH, Fla. — A Georgia man has died after being struck by lightning during his Florida vacation.

The Gulf County Sheriff’s Office says 40-year-old David Eugene Lee was hit Sunday while visiting a Panhandle beach with his wife and children.

They spotted gathering storm clouds and began to leave the beach when Lee’s wife heard thunder. She turned around to find her husband collapsed.

Lee was pronounced dead after being rushed to a Port St. Joe hospital.

via Florida vacationer killed by lightning strike – Florida AP – MiamiHerald.com.

A chance to work at the Winter Olympics and experience life as a farmhand on a southern Alberta ranch lured Dean Duchenne from South Africa.

The 22-year-old’s dreams of adventure in the Canadian west came to an abrupt end when he was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning during a storm Thursday.

Claresholm RCMP say Duchenne and two friends were putting up fencing at Sears Ranches Beaver Camp when a threatening storm began rolling in, cutting short their work northwest of Stavely around 5:30 p.m.

As they were heading back to their work truck, Duchenne was blasted by a direct hit of lightning.

“Poor lad. He travelled half way around the world to be here,” said Claresholm RCMP Cpl. Dalyn Orsten.

“I think it’s safe to say that’s not something that’s ever going to happen here again.”

A friend walking beside Duchenne was also injured and knocked unconscious briefly.

An uninjured co-worker performed CPR on Duchenne until help arrived.

Duchenne was taken to High River hospital and later transferred to Calgary’s Foothills.

He died the following morning.

Duchenne arrived in Canada last December with three friends to work at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler.

With many more months left on their visas, the group found work at Sears Ranch in southern Alberta last March.

Despite having no ranching experience, Duchenne was a fast learner and a hard worker, his boss says.

“No experience but he was a good kid. They were all good kids,” said Jeff Sears, who put the young men to work with livestock and other agricultural chores.

Thursday’s freak occurrence is made even more upsetting because the crew were following safety procedures by stopping work under thunderstorm conditions.

“They did everything right, that’s what’s so frustrating,” said Sears.

“He was very, very outgoing, everybody who met him enjoyed him and liked him.”

Famiy and friends in South Africa are still grappling with the random and violent nature of Duchenne’s death.

Friend Chris Le Roux says Duchenne was excited for his Canadian adventure.

“I think he was looking for a break, to get away from everything and do something different,” said Le Roux, who says he regretted skipping the Canada trip to finish his studies.

“He brought the best out of them and people’s confidence soared after meeting him.

“He lived every second of every day to its fullest and I know he passed away with not one regret, except playing rugby for South Africa or the Sharks,” said Le Roux.

Arrangements to transport his body back to South Africa have been made.

Duchenne’s friends left for South Africa to attend the funeral but plan on returning to Canada, Le Roux said.

via Ranch hand killed by lightning strike was following his dream.

Lake Guntersville – Marshall County Coroner Marlon Killion confirms to WHNT News 19 that a 15-year-old girl died Sunday afternoon after being struck by lightning. The girl was swimming with family at the Honeycomb Campground off of Honeycomb Road.

The girl’s mother and sister were also hurt in the strike. Both were taken to Huntsville Hospital.

Killion says the 15-year-old was pronounced dead in the emergency room at Huntsville Hospital.

The Honeycomb Campground is located just off of highway 431 between Huntsville and Guntersville in Marshall County.

via deadly lightning strike marshall county – WHNT.

RAVENNA,Ohio – Joe Strong loved his family, he loved life, and he loved fishing.

Joe and Melissa Strong, along with a friend, were fishing on the Bassett Channel in Ontario Friday afternoon.  They were laughing, joking and catching fish.

But, the sunny, hot summer day changed in an instant.

“All of a sudden the sky was black and there was a lightning strike,” Melissa Strong said.

The couple headed for land, but the storm was too bad. Joe Strong steered the boat into a nearby patch of reeds for protection, Melissa Strong recalled.

Her 41-year-old husband was worried about his uncle who was in a nearby boat. Joe Strong got on the back of his boat to see if his uncle was OK, and he was.

At that precise moment, Joe Strong was hit by lightning, Melissa said.

She attempted to perform CPR on her husband while rescuers tried to reach the boat that was still miles from shore.

Joe and Melissa Strong had been married just 3 months.

Melissa, a newly wed only three days ago, is now a heartbroken widow, who lost her husband and best friend.

“I wake up every morning thinking it was a dream,” she said,” but it’s not a dream.”

via Ravenna family devestated by death.

WALPOLE ISLAND, Ontario – Police are investigating the death of a Northeast Ohio man, who they suspect was killed by lightning.

The 41-year-old Ravenna resident was out on his boat with friends and family on the south end Bassett Channel Friday afternoon.

Walpole Island Police say when the storm moved in, people on the boat tried to seek shelter in some reeds.

According to witnesses on the boat, they heard a loud crack and saw a bright flash.

Immediately after lightning struck, they found the victim lying on the deck unresponsive.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. Friday, a 911 call was made and the Coast Guard was able to locate the boat and get it to shore.

An autopsy is scheduled for later today. The name of the victim is not being released until family is notified.

via Northeast Ohio Man Killed by Lightning in Canada – WJW.

A 57-year-old woman died early Wednesday after rescuing her grandchild from a rip current off Old Orchard Beach in Maine, and officials warned there may be more of the treacherous currents in the area this year.

Anne Farley of Westbrook, Maine, jumped in the water at Saco Beach Tuesday afternoon when she saw one of her grandchildren struggling in the water, Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Glass said. Farley managed to push her grandchild to the point the child could swim back to shore, but was unable to make it back herself, the family told officials.

Witnesses at neighboring Old Orchard Beach spotted Farley face down in the water and alerted lifeguards, who pulled her out and performed CPR, Glass said. She was transported to Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, then transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she died Wednesday morning, he said.

Lifeguards rescued five other swimmers at the same time as Farley; they were unharmed. Glass said he was unsure if Farley, who was unconscious when lifeguards pulled her out of the water, had been caught underwater in a rip current or became too exhausted to continue swimming.

The area has experienced unusually strong rip currents this year, Glass said. Over Fourth of July weekend alone, lifeguards rescued about 50 people who were caught in the currents, he said. Farley was the first unsuccessful rescue this season, he said.

Unprecedented erosion up and down the New England coastline may be to blame for the unusual currents, said Stephen Dickson, a marine geologist for the Maine Geological Survey said. Strong storms wore away at beaches earlier this year in ways not seen for 20 years, he said.

“It’s a possibility,” Dickson said. “Lifeguards and swimmers are experiencing new rip currents in places they’ve never seen before. It will probably remain hazardous to swimming for the rest of the summer.”

via Maine woman dies rescuing grandchild; officials warn of rip currents – Local News Updates – MetroDesk – The Boston Globe.

A 12-year-old girl died Tuesday after falling into floodwaters near Flagstaff, Arizona, authorities said.

Shaelyn Wilson had gone to see runoff from a flash flood around 2 p.m., according to the Coconino Sheriff’s Department. A younger sister ran back to tell the father that Shaelyn had fallen into a wash.

The family searched the area near where the girl fell and several agencies also took part in the search, according to Kelli Most, administrative specialist with the sheriff’s department.

The girl was found about a third of a mile from where she went into the water, and her father performed CPR until paramedics arrived. She was pronounced dead at Flagstaff Medical Center.

A massive wildfire last month made the area susceptible to flooding, said Most. “There’s just no greenery there” to prevent runoff, she said. The blaze charred 15,000 acres.

Several small streams pushed over their banks, and flash floods were threatening homes, according to CNN affiliate KPHO.

via Arizona girl, 12, dies in flooding – CNN.com.

MONTREAL – A 46-year-old man was in critical condition Sunday morning after he and his wife, 49, were struck by lightning Saturday evening in the city’s east end.

The man suffered severe internal burns and was in cardiac arrest when ambulance technicians took him away about 7:40 p.m. from the corner of Frontenac St. and Notre Dame St., Urgences Santé spokesperson Benoit Garneau said.

“He had some serious internal injuries and was hemorrhaging,” Garneau said. “His wife was also seriously burned, but she regained consciousness as she was being transported to the hospital.”

The man was listed in critical condition in a hospital’s intensive-care unit on Sunday morning, Garneau said.

The couple were under the tree during a thunderstorm and had gone there to watch the fireworks festival later Saturday night. They had folding chairs and an umbrella, which may have attracted the lightning, Garneau said.

“There’s nothing worse for attracting lightning than being under a tree holding something made of metal and with your feet on the ground,” Garneau said. “The lightning struck the tree and hit them directly.”

Elsewhere in Montreal, the strong rains Saturday afternoon and evening caused flooding in the Acadie Circle area resulting in temporary closures of parts of Highways 15 and 40 between roughly 4:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to Transport Quebec. The agency has warned motorists to avoid the Decarie Expressway and the Acadie Circle during heavy rainstorms as it is prone to flooding. There were no motorists left stranded in the flooded areas, a Transport Quebec spokesperson said Sunday.

The rains and wind also toppled trees in St. Eustache and Sherbrooke, and hail and a waterspout cloud were seen in Mascouche. A man’s awning was knocked over in Kirkland, causing several people who were under it to run for cover.

There was some flooding reported on Le Carrefour Blvd. near Cure Labelle Blvd. in Laval.

Environment Canada was checking to see if a mini-tornado may have occurred in St. Lazare.

Environment Canada is predicting a warm day on Sunday, with a high of 28C, and then a return to seasonal temperatures for the early part of the week.

According to Environment Canada, lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a build-up of static electricity between thunderclouds, or between thunderclouds and the ground. It can deliver as much as 100 million volts of electricity and strike a target up to 16 kilometres away, making it extremely dangerous.

Thunder is the noise created when air suddenly expands from the heat of a lightning discharge. If you count the seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, you can tell approximately how close the lightning is to you: each second representing about 300 metres.

Some lightning safety tips:

1) If you can hear thunder, you are within distance of a lightning strike. Take shelter immediately, preferably in a house or all-metal automobile (not convertible top) or in a low-lying area.

2) When there is lightning nearby, head indoors immediately. Stay away from electrical appliances and equipment, doors, windows, fireplaces and anything else that will conduct electricity, such as sinks, tubs and showers. Avoid using a telephone that is connected to a landline.

3) If you are in your car, do not park under tall objects that could topple, and do not get out if there are downed power lines nearby.

4) There is no safe place outdoors during thunderstorms. As such, in situations where you find yourself outside during a thunderstorm, it is best to quickly get to a safe indoor venue as soon as possible, or a car if an indoor area is not available.

5) If you find yourself stuck outside with no other safe option, keep away from trees and other tall hazards, and drop to your knees, bent forward so your head is lower than your back (but not touching the ground) and put your hands on your thighs. Do not lie flat on the ground. Remember that even if you do this, being exposed outside during a thunderstorm with lightning can lead to serious danger, injury and even death.

6) If caught on the water in a small boat with no cabin, quickly get to shore. Boats with cabins offer a safer but still not ideal environment.

7) People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge and can be safely handled. Call for medical assistance immediately and, if breathing has stopped, administer mouth-to-mouth or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

via Montreal couple struck, burned by lightning.

(NECN: Kenneth Craig, Rindge, N.H.) – A mother and her nine-year-old son were struck by lightning Friday night while heading to their lakeside vacation home.

A bolt of lightning ripped through their campsite, creating a terrifying experience.

“It was scary,” Bonnie Mann said. “I couldn’t move my legs. I was paralyzed for a period of time.”

The two are lucky to be alive after being struck at the Rindge, N.H. Vacation home. It was an almost one-in-a-million chance that they were struck Friday night.

“It was a huge vibrating feeling,” Bonnie Mann said. “[It lasted] long enough to wonder when it was going to stop.”

She said they held each other as they waited for help. Simon asked his mother if they would make it out alive.

The mother and son, who were there with family vacationing from Switzerland, were taken to area hospitals and quickly released. They said all they have to show for their adventure are a few superficial burns and blisters. They are thankful for the way it ended — without serious damage.

The family has about a week left before they had back home. They said they will not be taking any chances with summer storms again.

via Woman struck by lightning, momentarily paralyzed.

TAMPA, Fla. (WTSP) – The sinkhole that swallowed a Toyota Camry is continuing to grow, officials tell 10 Connects.

At last measurement it was 22 feet by 24 feet and 17 feet to the dirt on the bottom. The depth does not take into account where the Camry is, in fact, no one is quite sure how deep the car is.

The rear end of the car was completely covered by dirt by late last night.

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement officials tell 10 Connects the sinkhole does not appear to be directly impacting the structure of the Bordeaux Village condos on N. 50th Street, however it has grown to the staircase of the building.

Code enforcement was back out at the complex on Monday, assessing damage to the building.

Several families were evacuated from the row of condos after it was deemed unsafe.

Robin Caton, with Hillsborough Code Enforcement, says they will not allow anyone to move back in until an engineer determines the sinkhole has been stabilized and the building is safe.

The Red Cross has been assisting the families who were forced out by finding them hotel rooms for the next few days.

Caton says engineers hired by the property managers will determine how to fix the sinkhole and whether it makes sense to remove the car.

Vibrations in the ground could make the situation worse, sinkhole exerts say.

Caton says they have spoken to people who live in the neighborhoods near the complex, alerting them to the sinkhole and what they need to look out for in case a sinkhole develops on their property.

Calls to the Bordeaux Village management were not returned as of Monday afternoon.

via Giant Sinkhole Swallows Car | WUSA9.com | Washington, DC |.

VESTABURG — Two people have been airlifted to the hospital and two others were transported by ambulance for treatment after they were struck by lightning outside the Rock Lake Bible Methodist Church this afternoon, police said.

The victims, whose ages range from 10 to 18, were huddled under umbrellas near a baseball field after a sudden storm swept across the region, Montcalm County Undersheriff Mark Bellinger said.

One of the injured boys was unresponsive when authorities received a 911 call about 2:11 p.m.

Each of the four were knocked to the ground and suffered burns and numbness to their extremities, police said.

via Four struck by lightning outside Rock Lake Bible Methodist Church in Vestaburg | MLive.com.

A man who was struck by lightning last weekend at an east-side golf course died Tuesday, police said.

Francisco Juarez died at University Medical Center after he was hit by lightning Saturday while golfing at Fred Enke Golf Course, 8251 E. Irvington Road, said Sgt. Diana Lopez, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

Another golfer who was about 50 feet away from the man was treated and released for minor injuries after he was shocked during the lightning strike, said Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Trish Tracy at the time of the incident.

The man, who was in his 40s, was at the driving range when he was struck, Tracy said.

via Man struck by lightning on Tucson golf course dies.

A Cobb County teenager died after being struck by lightning Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The 16-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died, Officer Joseph Hernandez told the AJC.

Another 15-year-old girl was also injured, and she remained in critical condition Tuesday night, Hernandez said. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. when lightning struck a tree in an apartment complex near Austell, he said.

“Lightning struck a tree and the girls were under the tree when this happened,” Hernandez said.

The girls lived in the Windwood Apartments, located on Shenandoah Trail, Hernandez said. The teenagers had apparently been inside an apartment watching television just prior to going outside, he said.

The lightning was powerful enough to split trees in the complex, police said.

The Cobb victim is the second metro Atlanta teenager killed by lightning in two weeks. Eric West, who had recently moved to Henry County, died June 30 when he was struck by lightning in his McDonough neighborhood.

via Teen dies after being struck by lightning  | ajc.com.

Port St. Joe – Single red flags were flying at St. Joseph State Park when a man, his son, and his brother-in-law waded into the waist deep water. A short time later, the man would be dead, and his brother in law hospitalized.

Although names are being held pending the family’s notification, the drowning happened around noon, shortly after a 53-year-old man, his 21-year-old son, and his 49-year-old brother in law waded into the surf. Although the trio was in waist deep water, they got caught up in a rip current, and were dragged away from the shore.

A beach goer noticed that they were in trouble, and called 911. Then other beach goers, park rangers, and DEP Police all responded, pulling the men to shore, where they began to perform CPR on the 53-year-old man. From the beach, he was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital Port St. Joe, where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 p.m.

The son was treated and released, the man’s brother in law was airlifted to Bay Medical Center in Panama City, where he’s listed in stable condition.

via Rip current costs a man his life in Gulf County.

Bill Walker was not a strong swimmer.

But when the 48-year-old San Jose man saw a family desperately struggling in a violent Pacific Ocean current off a notoriously dangerous Monterey County beach, he jumped in to help.

The act of bravery cost him his life. Yet it saved two others.

The longtime operations manager at San Jose’s Silitronics died Saturday on Monastery Beach shortly after pulling a young girl and her grandmother to safety; the coroner’s report called his death an “ocean drowning.”

Interviews with witnesses, the state parks superintendent, a coroner’s detective, Cal Fire and a sheriff’s report indicate that Walker had gone into the water to save the woman, her daughter and granddaughter, who along with perhaps three or more others had been caught by a rough current.

While Walker was able to save the grandmother and granddaughter, he tried but couldn’t save the girl’s mother, 31-year-old Nalini Kommineni of Cupertino. She was pronounced dead Wednesday after her organs were harvested to help others, according to the Monterey County coroner.

They all fell victim to a lovely but deadly strip of beach that’s part of the Carmel River State Beach. Because of its rough rip currents, locals have nicknamed the area “Mortuary Beach.”

“There’s not a person here who doesn’t want that beach closed to swimming,” said coroner’s detective Kevin Gardepie. “It may be great for scuba diving, but we have too many fatalities there because of the rip currents.”

From 1985 to 2009, there have been at least 16 deaths at Monastery Beach, according to the Divers Alert Network medical research department and news archives from the Monterey County Herald.

“People just get sucked out by the undertow,” said Monterey County sheriff’s Cmdr. Mike Richards. “There are signs up and down the beach about the dangers. But I guess people just don’t pay attention.”

Hours before he died, Walker and his girlfriend, Barbara Basinger, 45, of Carmichael, had spent the day taking pictures and enjoying the wildlife at Point Lobos.

Then, the couple decided to watch the sunset and headed to the beach.

“We both loved listening to the waves and watching the surf,” Basinger said.

She closed her eyes and lay down on the sand. But she jumped up with a start just before 6 p.m. to see Walker about 100 feet out from shore.

“People were yelling and shouting and Bill just dove in,” she said.

Walker managed to bring the grandmother and child back to shore. Then he went back out for Kommineni. As they were carried farther out and Walker began to struggle himself, he let go of her, reports state.

By that time, lifeguards arrived and went in after Kommineni.

“Men helped pull Bill in,” Basinger said. “At first, he was sitting up, trying to catch his breath. But then he just passed out.”

Sheriff’s reports show that Deputy Mike Fritsche and a good Samaritan performed CPR until paramedics came. But it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Walker’s death has devastated his co-workers and family.

Colleagues from Silitronics, a microelectronics manufacturer where Walker worked for 25 years, have written heartfelt remembrances on an online guest book about the man they said helped them on the job and who was kind and thoughtful.

Walker’s family had already been hit by tragedy. Last year, his younger brother, Ron Walker, died when his truck skidded on black ice and crashed in the Sierra.

That leaves his parents, Charles and Judy, and surviving brother, David, all of San Jose.

“The family is just so distraught,” said Christine Walker, David’s wife.

She said that being the eldest son, Walker was the go-to guy for everyone’s needs, especially his elderly parents, who have both suffered health problems in recent years.

“Bill would always be the one checking on his parents,” Christine Walker said. “One of the defining things about his life was how much he cared for others. So dying how he did isn’t a surprise to anyone.”

A bachelor, Walker met Basinger nearly three years ago at a woodworking and crafts show in Sacramento. They caught each other’s eye at lunch and were soon a couple.

“He was always trying to make me happy,” Basinger said. “He wrote me love poems. He gave me hugs all the time.”

Knowing that Walker, a Westmont High School graduate who loved woodworking, photography and golf, died being a hero is a small silver lining to his family. What also helps is knowing that he was madly in love with a woman who was by his side during his darkest, and bravest, hour.

“Bill died head over heels in love with Barbara,” Christine Walker said. “We know that he died a happy man.”

via San Jose man saved two from drowning, died trying save a third – San Jose Mercury News.

Details are sketchy Tuesday night, but a construction worker is being treated at a Peoria hospital after he was struck by lightning.

The unidentified worker was injured about 6:30 Tuesday night, as storms moved through the area of Washburn.

A Metamora Ambulance crew transported the man to OSF St. Francis Medical Center for treatment of his injuries and stabilization before he could be transferred to Memorial Burn Center in Springfield.

via Worker Struck By Lightning In Washburn | WEEK News 25 – News, Sports, Weather – Peoria, Illinois | Local News.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A boater is speaking out after his boat was struck by lightning on the Fourth of July.

“The skies were beautiful, the seas were beautiful and all of a sudden it just changed on us,” said Debby Post.

The stormy weather forced the Post family to cut their boating trip short. Post’s husband, Chip, was at the helm of the 37-foot boat while the rest of the family took cover below. That’s when lightning struck. “It was just a huge flash and a deafening sound,” said Chip.

Post knew the boat had been struck. “It shook the boat. You knew it hit,” she said.

The lightning bolt snapped an antenna and ripped a hole in the canvas above Chip’s head. Shards of fiber glass shot through his rain coat and into his arm. “I thought it was a straight strike of lightning went through my arm and through the leg, but it was just the shards going through the jacket,” said Chip.

Meanwhile, Post wasn’t sure if her husband was alive. “I saw things falling around the boat thinking it was pieces of my husband, perhaps,” she said. “I thought he was gone and that’s why I hesitated going up the steps”

Chip steered the boat back to shore. Aside from his arm he was OK.

Released from the hospital, he is back home with his family showing pictures, and the raincoat, from the trip. Reminders of the one Fourth of July trip he is not likely to forget. “It’s good to be here, definitely,” said Chip. “I feel lucky, you know.”

The longtime boater said he appreciates the efforts of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Coast Guard and everyone else who came out to help him.

via WSVN-TV – Man’s boat struck by lightning.

DELRAY BEACH — A man was taken to Delray Medical Center Friday evening after reports that he was struck by lightning.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue found the man, in his late 20s, near the Oakmont development on Old Germantown Road around 9 p.m.

The man, whose name was not released, appeared to be in stable condition was taken to the hospital for observation, Lt. Ed Beardsley said.

via Man struck by lightning in Delray Beach, in stable condition.

MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Xinhua) — Civil Protection authorities in northern Mexican state Nuevo Leon raised the death toll from Alex to seven on Friday from four a day earlier, Mexican broadcasters reported.

Alex, which hit northeastern Mexico state Tamaulipas as a category two hurricane on Wednesday night, dumped heavy rains to four states including Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Zacatecas and Jalisco.

The tropical storm is downgraded to a minor storm.

The total death toll in Mexico is now 13. Some 10 people died due to Alex’s destructive journey through Nicaragua, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

On Friday, Mexico’s Interior Ministry declared an emergency for 21 municipalities in Nuevo Leon, a move which frees funds from the National Disaster Fund managed by the ministry.

Rodolfo Navarrete, an economist at Vector Casa de Bolsa, told Xinhua that the disaster will have a clear economic impact for the nation as a whole.

“The hurricane will have an economic impact because Monterrey is practically paralysed,” Navarrete said. “It is going to reduce industrial production in July.”

The hurricane has destroyed bridges, caused oil slick and paralysed traffic in some regions. A group representing Monterrey business owners said that some 25,000 people did not show up for work on Friday.

Monterrey is Mexico’s most industrialized city and part of an area dedicated to manufacturing for export that spread across all of Mexico’s border states. Alongside central Mexican state Puebla, border states produce large volumes of vehicles for export to the United States, the nation’s northern neighbor.

The auto industry represents around 15 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product.

via Death toll from Alex rises to 7 in northern Mexican state.

MONTERREY Mexico (Reuters) – Intense rain from Hurricane Alex shut down Mexico’s richest city, Monterrey, on Friday, as floods killed six people, swept away cars and swamped wealthy suburbs with mud and rocks.

More than a year’s worth of rain fell in three days from the first named Atlantic storm of the 2010 season, swelling dry river beds and destroying chunks of highway in the city, 125 miles (200 km) south of McAllen, Texas.

One woman was crushed to death by a mudslide as huge rocks from the surrounding mountains crashed down on roads.

“I thought we were going to die,” housewife Lesly Ramos told local radio as she surveyed her home filled with rocks and mud in a middle-class suburb.

The floods dragged away furniture from mansions in the San Pedro Garza Garcia suburb, Mexico’s wealthiest municipality, and buffalo were washed out of the city zoo.

Normally spared from hurricanes coming off the Gulf of Mexico, Monterrey was caught unprepared for the storm that came ashore as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday night after it killed 12 people in Central America but missed oil rigs in the Gulf.

The storm powered inland in Mexico, bringing up to 30 inches (80 cm) of rain in some areas of Monterrey.

“That is more than the accumulated amount of rain in the 365 days of the year,” said Jorge Camacho, director of rescue services in Nuevo Leon state, of which Monterrey is the capital.

Many businesses in the city, which has the highest per capita income in Mexico and is home to drinks giant Femsa and global cement maker Cemex, shuttered as authorities closed bridges over the Santa Catarina river, usually bone-dry but surging on Friday.

Tens of thousands of homes were without water and electricity on Friday and many huddled in shelters. Although the rain lessened, authorities were still on high alert.

via Six killed as Alex floods major Mexican city | World | Reuters.

The 15-year-old girl injured in a lightning storm that killed her 14-year-old neighbor was still in the hospital Thursday afternoon, a hospital employee said.

Ceyora Taylor, who was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston after she was struck by lightning, was in good condition and expected to be OK.

Eric Terrell West, who was with Taylor during the storm, was killed by the strike.

West and Taylor were standing outside a house in the 3000 block of Regal Drive in the Huntington Ridge subdivision off Ga. 42 in McDonough when they were knocked to the ground by lightning Tuesday night, according to the McDonough police incident report.

West and Taylor’s families live two houses apart in the subdivision.

“[West] was actually walking her home in the rain,” said Reginald Marine, Taylor’s adoptive father. “They ran under a tree and used it like an umbrella. He was holding onto the tree, so the roots carried the electric current to the ground.”

At 8:47 p.m., the Henry County Fire Department responded to the call and transported both teens to Henry County Medical Center.

According to the incident report, Taylor regained consciousness at the scene. She was later transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

“She’s a trooper, she’s a fighter,” Marine said. “She doesn’t really remember what happened, but she remembers me being there with her, holding her and moving her body.”

Marine said Taylor instantly lost muscle control, and her body became like a “limp noodle.”

“When she first arrived, they were mostly concerned with muscle atrophy, neurological damage and organ damage,” Marine said.

He was happy to report that Taylor primarily is suffering from “a few burn spots” on her body and was kept at Egleston to monitor her hydration.

Marine said his daughter is eager — not anxious — to start her freshman year of high school in the fall. She wants to pursue writing.

“She’s shown an interest in journalism and she loves to read,” he said. “She’s also taken martial arts since she was little.”

He said they waited to tell her the fate of her friend, who neighbors had fondly nicknamed “Terrell” or “Tyrone,” and she is still grieving.

West was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived and was pronounced dead at Henry County Medical Center.

“He was a loving kid, very mindful,” said Brandin West, father of the young man. “You only had to ask him to do something once and he’d do it.”

West is also survived by a younger brother and sister and his mother. Brandin West said his wife is taking Eric’s death better than he expected.

“But at night, she closes her eyes and says she sees him,” Brandin West said.

Savion Lampley, 11, from Waynesboro, Miss., was a teammate of West’s. West was a point guard on their neighborhood basketball team. West also played football.

“He was sweet, and he could run real fast,” Lampley said. West attended Waynesboro Middle School in Mississippi for the 2009-10 school year, but Lampley said West recently moved to Georgia and transferred schools.

Brandin said his family moved to McDonough only three weeks ago. West was about to enter the eighth grade and wanted to to try out for the local basketball, football and track teams.

Brandin said the family was planning funeral services in Waynesboro, Miss., on July 6.

Two weeks ago, on June 19, a teen was struck by lightning in Acworth. The victim in that incident survived after a friend quickly summoned help by flagging down an Acworth police officer near the intersection of Lake Acworth Drive and West Lakeshore Drive.

For 2007, the latest data the Georgia Department of Community Health could provide, there were three lightning-related deaths in Georgia. Since 1994, the most lightning-related deaths was five in 1999.

There were 50 emergency room visits and nine hospitalizations for 2007.

Nate Mayes, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service said there is a lot of cautionary information people should know about lightning.

“Most people are struck by lightning before the storm hits,” Mayes said. “The lightning can be at the front of the storm and it doesn’t seem dangerous yet.”

Mayes also listed  precautionary measures such as staying indoors or inside vehicles during a thunderstorm and avoiding open fields and bodies of water. He also warned that lightning can travel through metal pipes and phone lines, so it is best to not take showers or baths during a thunderstorm, or to talk on a land line phone.

“The best thing you can do is listen,” Mayes said. “Lightning causes thunder. When you see lightning, start counting. Every five seconds that pass until you hear thunder is a mile in [distance].”

via 15-year-old girl still recovering in hospital after lightning strike  | ajc.com.

GRAHAM (AP) – A man has died after he was struck by lightning at an Alamance County home.

Horacio Ascencio, 19, died Wednesday in the burn unit at UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital. Police say Ascencio was standing under a tree in the front yard of a home in Graham around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by lightning.

His mother says Ascencio’s shoe came off, his sock was ripped open and smoke was coming from his body.Ascencio’s heart stopped, but he was revived and taken to a hospital.

Alamance County was under a severe thunderstorm warning issued by the National Weather Service when Ascencio was struck.

Witnesses told authorities that the sky was clear, and there was a light drizzle of rain.

via 19-year-old struck by lightning, killed | ascencio, struck, lightning – Local News – Gaston Gazette.

A 14-year-old boy struck by lightning in McDonough has died, authorities said Wednesday. A girl who was also struck survived and is recovering at a local hospital.

Henry County Coroner Greg Cannon told the AJC  that Eric West died overnight at Henry Medical Center.

A 15-year-old girl, Ceyara Taylor, was also struck by the lightning bolt Tuesday night as heavy storms slammed the south side of the metro area.

Taylor was taken to Henry Medical Center and was later tranferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. She was in good condition Wednesday afternoon, an Egleston spokeswoman told the AJC.

McDonough fire Chief Steve Morgan told WSB Radio that the teens were outside a house in the Huntington Ridge subdivision off Ga. 42 when they were knocked to the ground by a lightning bolt around 8 p.m.

West was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Taylor regained consciousness at the scene, Morgan said.

Two weeks ago, on June 19, a teen was struck by lightning in Acworth. The victim in that incident survived after a friend quickly summoned help by flagging down an Acworth police officer near the intersection of Lake Acworth Drive and West Lakeshore Drive.

Storms also delayed some arriving flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told the AJC late Tuesday. For about 30 minutes, beginning around 9:45 p.m., the weather prevented flights from landing in Atlanta, Bergen said.

There is a 60 percent chance of  rain and storms on Wednesday, according to WSB-TV Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns.

“It’s going to be very hot and very muggy,” Burns said.

Temperatures are expected to cool slightly, with Wednesday’s high expected to be 87 degrees in Atlanta, down from Tuesday’s high of 93.

So far, the upcoming holiday weekend looks like it will be sunny and dry, Burns said.

via Henry County lightning strike: Teen killed, girl survives  | ajc.com.

A 14-year-old boy struck by lightning in McDonough has died, authorities said Wednesday. A girl who was also struck survived and is recovering at a local hospital.

Henry County Coroner Greg Cannon told the AJC  that Eric West died overnight at Henry Medical Center.

A 15-year-old girl, Ceyara Taylor, was also struck by the lightning bolt Tuesday night as heavy storms slammed the south side of the metro area.

Taylor was taken to Henry Medical Center and was later tranferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. She was in good condition Wednesday afternoon, an Egleston spokeswoman told the AJC.

McDonough fire Chief Steve Morgan told WSB Radio that the teens were outside a house in the Huntington Ridge subdivision off Ga. 42 when they were knocked to the ground by a lightning bolt around 8 p.m.

West was in cardiac arrest when emergency crews arrived and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Taylor regained consciousness at the scene, Morgan said.

Two weeks ago, on June 19, a teen was struck by lightning in Acworth. The victim in that incident survived after a friend quickly summoned help by flagging down an Acworth police officer near the intersection of Lake Acworth Drive and West Lakeshore Drive.

Storms also delayed some arriving flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told the AJC late Tuesday. For about 30 minutes, beginning around 9:45 p.m., the weather prevented flights from landing in Atlanta, Bergen said.

There is a 60 percent chance of  rain and storms on Wednesday, according to WSB-TV Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns.

“It’s going to be very hot and very muggy,” Burns said.

Temperatures are expected to cool slightly, with Wednesday’s high expected to be 87 degrees in Atlanta, down from Tuesday’s high of 93.

So far, the upcoming holiday weekend looks like it will be sunny and dry, Burns said.

via Henry County lightning strike: Teen killed, girl survives  | ajc.com.

MCDONOUGH, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Henry County say one of two teenagers who were struck by lightning Tuesday night has died.

Fourteen-year-old Eric West died during the night at Henry Medical Center, according to Henry County Coroner Greg Cannon.

Authorities say a 15-year-old girl was also struck by lightning as storms passed through McDonough.

She was also taken to Henry Medical Center. Her identity and condition have not been released.

via Henry Co. Teen Dies After Being Struck By Lightning – 11Alive.com | WXIA | Atlanta, GA.

A crabbing boat sits near the Tammy and Jerry Duff’s house in Liberty.  It was struck by lightning Thursday morning with her husband and close family friend Charles Weaver Jr. in it.

“He knew that it was lightning because of the way it sounded and the flash that was before him,” Tammy Duff said.

Charles Weaver Jr., 30, died almost immediately after the lightning struck the crabbing boat.  Jerry Duff tried to revive his friend.  He was unsuccessful.

Tammy Duff got a call her husband had been injured at about 10:30 Thursday morning.  The lightning burned Jerry Duff’s eyes and throat.  He had a headache and ringing in his ears, which his doctor said will go away in the next two weeks.

Duff was knocked down by the lightning strike.  When he got up, he tried to start his boat, but the wires had been burned.  He waded to shore and walked almost a mile until he could wave down help.  A passing tugboat contacted another boat to help him.

“From what I understand, it was 20 to 30 miles away,” Tammy Duff said.  “So how can you protect yourself? You don’t think when it’s sunny outside, that lightning could strike.”

Jerry Duff was treated at a hospital and is recovering at home.  But he and his wife have a lot of healing to do emotionally.  They’d known Charles Weaver Jr. or Buddy for more than a decade.

“He was here a lot,” Tammy said.  “I never fixed my husband a plate with out fixing him [Buddy] a plate too.”

Visitation for Charles Weaver Jr. will be Sunday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at Faith and Family Funeral Services chapel in Batson. Funeral services will be Monday at 3 p.m.

via Lightning Killed Liberty Man | liberty, killed, boat – Local News -.

CHAMBERS COUNTY – A 30-year-old commercial crabber was killed Thursday morning when his boat was struck by lightning on the Intercoastal Canal near the Texas 124 bridge in Chambers County.

Charles Franklin Weaver, of Liberty, was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS personnel. His fishing companion, Jerry Duff, 47, also of Liberty, was airlifted to UTMB in Galveston in fair condition.

A tug boat first came upon the victims after the lighting strike and alerted another boat, who contacted emergency authorities about 9:30 a.m.

The incident was investigated by Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Galveston County Sheriff’s office, Winnie Fire and EMS and the Chambers County Sheriff’s office.

via The Police News.

A 30-year-old crabber died on Thursday morning when his boat was struck by lightning on the Intercoastal Canal near the Texas 124 bridge in Chambers County.

Charles Franklin Weaver, of Liberty, was pronounced dead at the scene. His fishing companion, Jerry Duff, 47, also of Liberty, was flown by helicopter to a Houston hospital, where he was reported to be in fair condition, authorities said.

Men on a tug boat were the first to come up on the crabbers after the lighting struck and alerted occupants of another boat, who contacted emergency authorities about 9:30 a.m.

The accident was investigated by Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Galveston County Sheriff’s office, Winnie Fire and EMS and the Chambers County Sheriff’s office.

via Crabber dies when lightning strikes boat in Chambers | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

Two people suffered minor injuries after they said their car was struck by lightning this afternoon in Newark.

New Castle County paramedics were called to the 100 block of E. Main Street about 4:43 p.m. for a reported lightning strike.

Paramedics could not, however, determine if the car struck by lightning or if lightning struck nearby.

A 48-year-old woman complained of being disoriented, said Assistant Paramedic Chief Richard D. Krett.

A 39-year-old man complained of a hearing problem.

Both patients were taken to Christiana Hospital for evaluation.

via Two say lightning struck their car in Newark | delawareonline.com | The News Journal.

A Fair Hill man was fighting for his life after being struck by lightning just before Tuesday evening’s downpour, which also left thousands of area homes without power. According to police and fire officials, the 40-year-old man survived the initial lightning strike but remained in critical condition at Christiana Hospital about two hours later.

A neighbor reported seeing the man walking from a garage to the house at 3031 Appleton Road near the Pennsylvania line and the Delaware border  when the lightning bolt struck him and a row of nearby pine trees, police said. The man reportedly was thrown about 15 feet.

via Newark Post – Newark, DE > News > Fair Hill man struck by lightning in critical condition.

In a flash, the joy of a school trip to the beach turned to panic and ultimately sadness for sixth graders from a Harlem school.

Their classmate, 12-year-old Nicole Suriel, drowned in the waters of the Atlantic ocean, off Long Beach.

Suriel was among more than 20 students from the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering who traveled to Long Beach.

Her identity has been confirmed in a memo from the Harlem school memo to parents.  The memo from the school’s principal called the drowning a ” tragic event.”

“All the kids were hysterical, screaming on the floor, crying that their friend was gone,” said witness Cassie Perez.

The other students watched in horror as rescuers searched frantically for Suriel after she was reported missing.  The search lasted for more than an hour before Suriel’s body was pulled from the surf.  She was taken to Long Beach Memorial hospital, but was eventually pronounced dead.

“She could have been caught in a rip current,” said Long Beach fire chief Scott Kemins. “But the bottom line is, she should not have been in that water.”

That’s because there were no lifeguards on duty in Long Beach.  They don’t begin working seven days a week at the city’s beaches until next week. Signs indicating that fact are on display around the beach.

A teacher and two interns were with the group of students at the beach; but, it’s unclear why they let the sixth graders into the water.

According to the DOE there were 24 6th graders on the trip and 3 supervisers: two eachers and on undergraduate intern teacher.

“I saw her head moving and I said to my friend, like why is there a kid out there by herself? said beachgoer Brittany Polini, who claims to have seen Suriel, unattended, far off shore, before the drowning.

Questions, tears and anger were on display outside the Harlem school after the drowning.  Grief counselors were called in and all after school activities were can celled.

A member of the school’s Parents’ Association wondered why the school’s principal authorized a class trip to a beach without lifeguards.

“He is to blame for this child’s death. No one else,” said parent David Suker of school principal, Dr. Jose Gabriel Maldonado-Rivera.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said the incident is under investigation.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Suriel family and the entire school community at this sad and tragic time,” Klein said in a statement. “Obviously, we are working diligently to determine exactly what happened and to provide immediate support to the students and staff of the school.”

For out of city middle school trips the rule is to have 2 staff members, one who must be teacher and one adult for 30 kids.

via With No Lifeguards on Duty, Student Drowns On Class Trip to Beach | NBC New York.

If this guy could somehow manage to get attacked by a shark he’d have the trifecta.

Some guys have all the luck.

And then there’s Rick Oliver, who might be one of the unluckiest men in the state, if not the world.

Oliver was mauled by a bear in his otherwise peaceful front yard a few weeks ago.

“It was like getting struck by lightning,” he said.

Turns out, Oliver might be one of the few people in the world capable of accurately making the bear-lightning analogy.

And for Oliver, 51, the two incidents seem to go hand in hand.

Ever since he was struck by lightning in 2006, Oliver says, he’s had trouble sleeping.

On restless nights, he tends to piddle about his farm, checking on his chickens, working on his tractors and, as he was in the wee hours of June 3, fixing up his Chevy Malibu.

About 2 a.m., he heard a distant rustling on his 17-acre spread, which is off Yates Mill Pond Road in an unincorporated sliver of Wake County between Cary and Raleigh.

As he turned to investigate, he was dealt a heavy blow. “I heard this strange huffing,” Oliver said. “And the next thing I know I had been run over and stepped on by a bear.”

The black bear’s claws gouged his wrist so deep that when he first took off his bandage, blood spewed onto his farmhouse floor. “Like a hose,” he said.

“That was when my daughter said, ‘Dad we need to take you to the emergency room.’ ”

The biggest cut was so deep and wide that doctors at WakeMed couldn’t sew it up. So doctors bandaged up Oliver and told him to keep pressure on the lacerations.

Nature 2, Oliver 0.

“He’s a little unlucky,” said Cameron Rhodes of Cary, who was married by Oliver at Piney Plain United Church of Christ in Cary, where Oliver is a minister. “But he’s even more lucky he has survived both of them.”

The chances of being attacked by a bear are rather slim, biologists say.

Between 2005 and 2009, only nine people were killed by bears in the United States, according to the N.C Wildlife Resources Commission.

Compare that to the 141 people who were killed by dogs during the same period, and you get the idea.

The chances of being struck by lightning are also extremely narrow. “You have a greater chance of getting struck by lightning than getting killed by a bear,” a report published by the U.S. Forest Service’s Bear Aware program says.

So it doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out the extreme unlikelihood of both happening to the same person.

“The probability is infinitesimal,” said Ross Leadbetter, a statistician at UNC-Chapel Hill. “The closest approximation is certainly zero.”

Bears in the Triangle

The odds get thinner still in the Triangle, where people vastly outnumber omnivorous bears. About 11,000 bears live in North Carolina. But there are very few in the Raleigh and Cary area, said Joe Folta, a wildlife biologist at the N.C Wildlife Resources Commission.

“The ones that do pass through are the one- to one-and-a-half-year-old bears who have been chased off by the bigger bears from the eastern and northern part of the state,” he said.

It’s common for young bears to travel through the Piedmont region in search of food or love during mating season, said Folta, who has studied bears for 25 years. Black bears will usually run the other way when confronted with danger.

“The best thing to do with a black bear is to clap, bark, or make a loud noise and make yourself look bigger to scare them away,” he said. “It’s not uncommon to find a bear going through your garbage, or even destroying your barbecue grill or bird feeder.”

Oliver, who was on a much needed vacation in Myrtle Beach last week, admits he may have left something to attract the bear. “Leftovers,” Oliver says, “from lunch in a bag up on the top step.”

via Wake County man hit by lightning — then mauled by a bear – Weird – NewsObserver.com.

Smoke continues to flow from the home of 81-year-old Martha Smith after lightning struck it around 3:00 p.m. Monday afternoon setting it on fire.

“The house was burning and she was still inside. She didn’t know what to do,” said Chief Raymond Parke.

A nearby farm hand witnessed the lightning strike off Lost Fork Road and went to see if he could help.

“By the time he got over there, he went in the house and he couldn’t find her, so he came back around the house and then came back and she was standing by the back doors.”

Relatives say Smith was able to get out without injury. It took fire crews around an hour to put out the flames.

“The whole back side of the house was fully involved with fire and smoke,” said Chief Parke.

Family members say the 81-year-old lived here for around 25 years and they say she’s now staying with relatives.

As fire crews continue to put out hot spots, family members save what they can.

“The house is a total loss there are a few salvageable things in the house.”

Smith’s family says everything that can’t be salvaged can be replaced they are just happy the 81-year-old is safe.

This is the second fire set by lightning in Richmond in the past week.  A week ago today, a house on Highland Avenue was struck by lightning overnight. Firefighters had to cut holes in portions of the roof to put out the flame.

via Lightning Strikes Home, Elderly Woman Escapes Fire.

Smoke continues to flow from the home of 81-year-old Martha Smith after lightning struck it around 3:00 p.m. Monday afternoon setting it on fire.

“The house was burning and she was still inside. She didn’t know what to do,” said Chief Raymond Parke.

A nearby farm hand witnessed the lightning strike off Lost Fork Road and went to see if he could help.

“By the time he got over there, he went in the house and he couldn’t find her, so he came back around the house and then came back and she was standing by the back doors.”

Relatives say Smith was able to get out without injury. It took fire crews around an hour to put out the flames.

“The whole back side of the house was fully involved with fire and smoke,” said Chief Parke.

Family members say the 81-year-old lived here for around 25 years and they say she’s now staying with relatives.

As fire crews continue to put out hot spots, family members save what they can.

“The house is a total loss there are a few salvageable things in the house.”

Smith’s family says everything that can’t be salvaged can be replaced they are just happy the 81-year-old is safe.

This is the second fire set by lightning in Richmond in the past week.  A week ago today, a house on Highland Avenue was struck by lightning overnight. Firefighters had to cut holes in portions of the roof to put out the flame.

via Lightning Strikes Home, Elderly Woman Escapes Fire.

NORMAL — Although lightning is commonly said to strike the highest object, that demonstrably was not the case Monday morning in Normal.

Lightning struck and ignited an underground gas supply line in the front lawn at 605 Maple Place, Normal, causing a flame to shoot out of the ground.

Resident Vivian Huff said she was awakened at about 7 a.m. by a lightning blast that lit up her bedroom. When she looked out her window, she saw a 5-foot high, 2-foot wide flame burning in the middle of her front yard.

Nicor Gas employees later arrived. They unearthed and closed the damaged supply line and allowed the remaining gas in it to be burned off.

via Lightning ruptures underground gas line in Normal.

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – A 19-year-old man is listed in fair condition at Rhode Island Hospital after he was struck by lightning Sunday night in a treehouse at a North Providence home.

The victim, identified late Monday morning as Matt Leathers, suffered burns over much of his body during a fast and furious thunderstorm that rolled through the area Sunday afternoon.

Leathers had been sitting on the steps of the treehouse on Salem Drive.

His neighbor, Ariana Petrosinelli, said she heard a loud crack when the bolt struck. Leathers was knocked unconscious for a few minutes, she said. Petrosinelli’s mother called 911.

The strike was violent enough to propel pieces of the treehouse ladder 30 feet into a neighbor’s yard.

Around the same time, lightning struck a home on Fruit Hill Avenue, causing a fire that left the home unlivable.

via Teen in treehouse struck by lightning | WPRI.com.

A 70-year-old man was killed by lightning Sunday near Meeteetse, Wyo., officials said.

Robert Jesse Gurney of Torrington, Wyo., was fishing with his son at Upper Sunshine Reservoir when he was struck by lightning, said Park County Sheriff Scott Seward.

Emergency responders were dispatched at 1:18 p.m. Bystanders performed CPR on Gurney but were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

He and Richard Gurney of Lovell, Wyo., were leaving the reservoir because of lightning when the elder Gurney was hit, Seward said.

via Lightning strike kills man near Meeteetse.

(News Today) – The death toll from a powerful string of earthquakes that shook Indonesia’s Papua province last week has climbed to 17, a government official said Monday.

“Most of the deaths occurred when a truck carrying 13 people plunged off a cliff because of the earthquake,” said Priyadi Kardono, head of Indonesia’s national disaster management agency. “There are 2,556 houses badly damaged. We have a team there and aid has already started to be flown in.”

At least six earthquakes struck the region during a several-hour period Wednesday afternoon. Four quakes rattled the region within an hour’s time. The largest was a magnitude 7.0.

The epicenters of the earthquakes were clustered within 90 kilometers (56 miles) of each other and some 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Enarotali, Indonesia.

“People ran out of their houses and headed for higher ground in fear of a tsunami,” Denni Siregar, the police chief of the Yapen Island sector, said shortly after the quakes.

Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.

The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was among the hardest hit nations.

via Indonesian earthquake death toll climbs to 17 :: Hot News Today :: News Headlines Today :: Today News Update.