Florida beachgoers injured by lightning strike on Fourth of July
According to the St. Pete Beach Fire Department, the strike occurred just before 12:30 p.m. in the southern portion of Pinellas County.
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Upon arrival, crews said they found two adults and one teenager near an umbrella.
Both adults were treated at the scene, but the teenager required further care at a local medical center.
Officials did not disclose the identities of the victims or say whether they were local to the area.
Showers and thunderstorms were in the forecast, as they are most days across the Sunshine States, with enough moisture and instability for nearly daily pop-up activity.
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Florida is often referred to as the 'lightning capital of the United States,' with millions of bolts detected in the sky each year.
According to the State of Florida, the state typically sees between 1-2 million strikes annually, with each bolt carrying millions of volts of electricity.
State health officials estimate about 10% of people injured by lightning strikes die as a result of these sudden acts of Mother Nature.
An outing on the Fourth of July turned tragic along Florida's Gulf Coast, as first responders reported three people sought medical attention after a lightning strike Friday afternoon.
geraldmarella – stock.adobe.com
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According to NOAA, around 20 people are killed by lightning annually across the nation, with most occurring in warm climate zones.
Outdoor events can sometimes end in tragedy, with fishing and beach activities topping the list of deadliest activities, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.
According to the National Weather Service, a bolt can travel 10–12 miles outside of a thunderstorm and carry some 300 million volts of electricity.
Despite the impressive amount of activity, fatalities from lightning strikes have been steadily declining across the U.S.
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According to the State of Florida, the state typically sees between 1-2 million strikes annually, with each bolt carrying millions of volts of electricity.
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In 2024, 14 people were killed by lightning, with nearly all engaged in outdoor activities when the thunder roared.
So far in 2025, the NLSC reports six fatalities, with all occurring either in the Plains or Southeast.
Beachgoers are always urged to remain vigilant as thunderstorms can develop with little warning.
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an hour ago
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Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic and deadly flooding
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend's house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later, he was rushing to safety: He woke up in darkness to electrical sockets popping and ankle-deep water. Quickly, his family scrambled nine people into the attic. Phones buzzed with alerts, Flowers recalled Saturday, but he did not remember when in the chaos they started. 'What they need they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now,' Flowers, 44, said. The destructive fast-moving waters that began before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 32 people, authorities said Saturday, and an unknown number of people remained missing. Those still unaccounted for included 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. But as authorities launch one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history, they have come under intensifying scrutiny over preparations and why residents and youth summer camps that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate. The National Weather Service sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger. Local officials have insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming and have defended their actions. 'There's going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,' said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. 'There's a lot of people saying 'why' and 'how,' and I understand that.' 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'People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast,' Porter said in a statement. Local officials have said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. 'We know we get rains. We know the river rises,' said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's top elected official. 'But nobody saw this coming.' Kelly said the county considered a flood warning system along the river that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, before he was elected, but that the idea never got off the ground because of the expense. 'We've looked into it before … The public reeled at the cost,' Kelly said. Hundreds of rescues Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that the massive response to the flooding had resulted in the rescue and recovery of more than 850 people, including some found clinging to trees. Scores of people in and along the river were airlifted to safety by helicopter, including girls at Camp Mystic. Kelly said he didn't know what kind of safety and evacuation plans the camps may have had. 'What I do know is the flood hit the camp first, and it came in the middle of the night. I don't know where the kids were," he said. "I don't know what kind of alarm systems they had. That will come out in time." U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday it was difficult for forecasters to predict just how much rain would fall. She said the Trump administration would make it a priority to upgrade National Weather Service technology used to deliver warnings. 'We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technology that's been neglected for far too long to make sure families have as much advance notice as possible,' Noem said during a press conference with state and federal leaders. Weather service had extra staffers The National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, Runyen said. Where the office would typically have two forecasters on duty during clear weather, they had up to five on staff. 'There were extra people in here that night, and that's typical in every weather service office — you staff up for an event and bring people in on overtime and hold people over,' Runyen said. ___
