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SALT LAKE CITY — When lightning strikes a human, it’s almost always a man.
More than 80 percent of lightning strike victims from 2006-2013 and all of the fatalities so far in 2014 have been men, according to new data from the National Weather Service. The majority were between the ages of 10 and 60.
“Possible explanations for this finding are that males are unaware of all the dangers associated with lightning, are more likely to be in vulnerable situations, are unwilling to be inconvenienced by the threat of lightning, are in situations that make it difficult to get to a safe place in a timely manner, don't react quickly to the lightning threat or any combination of these explanations,” NWS lightning safety specialist John Jensenius wrote in the report.
“In short, because of their behavior, males are at a higher risk of being struck and, consequently, are struck and killed by lightning more often than females.”
There were 261 people killed by lightning from 2006 to 2013. The greatest number of lightning fatalities happened while people were enjoying leisure-related activities, according to the study. Seventeen percent of the fatalities occurred during fishing and boating activities.
Camping came in second place for the greatest contributor to lightning deaths. One Utah man, Gregg Richey, survived being struck by lightning last August while camping with his family.
A total of 30 people died while fishing, 16 while camping, 14 while boating and 12 while playing soccer. June, July and August are the peak months for lightning activity, and 70 percent of the fatalities occurred during those months.
The study found that many of the lightning strike victims were steps away from shelter but did not get there in time. Some people were killed near their homes and businesses.
“In these cases, the key to safety is just to go inside and not take chances,” Jensenius wrote. “It’s important for people to remember that they should go inside immediately if they hear thunder or the sky looks threatening, and then wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before returning back outside.”
