In light of the 20th lightning fatality in the U.S. this year, lightning safety specialist John Jensenius shares tips on how to stay safe before and during lightning strikes.

Louisiana

A 17-year-old boy was killed by lightning while hunting in Louisiana, becoming the 20th lightning fatality in the United States this year. According to John Gensinius, a lightning safety specialist, this year's total matches the 10-year average but is higher than the recent five-year average of 15 deaths per year.

Notably, five of this year's lightning deaths have involved hunters, a significant increase compared to previous years, where only three such incidents were recorded between 2006 and 2024. Gensinius emphasized the importance of seeking shelter when thunderstorms are nearby, regardless of the season, and advised people to remain indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard.

Teen killed by lightning in Louisiana

Tragically, a 17-year-old boy in Louisiana was struck and killed by lightning while hunting last weekend, the 20th lightning fatality in the U.S. this year. Joining us right now is John Gensinius, lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council. You know, great. It's always great to have you on, sir, as you're an expert in this, but it's tough that we have to talk about this. Can you tell us about this recent tragedy in Louisiana? Well, yes, it's unfortunate because, as you mentioned, it was a 17-year-old boy. He was out hunting. He was up in an elevated deer stand, and unfortunately, he was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Lightning strike, and unfortunately, he was killed. With 20 lightning deaths nationwide, how does that compare to recent years? Well, when we look at the 10-year average, the 10-year average is about 20 lightning deaths, so that puts us right on track, but if we look at the last five years, the last five years have actually, we've seen an average of about 15, so this year has really been an uptick in the lightning deaths that we've seen in the last five years. Five of this year's lightning deaths have occurred while hunting. Are there reasons why we're seeing several incidents involving hunters lately? It's my understanding that this is a recent trend. Yeah, this is very unusual this year to see five deaths related to hunting. I've kept statistics since 2006, and between 2006 and 2024, we've only seen a total of three hunting-related deaths due to lightning. This year, we've had five in just the last two months, so very highly unusual, but the one thing that you do have to remember is it doesn't matter what time of the season it is, what time you're doing, if you're outside and you can hear thunder or if a thunderstorm is in the area, it is dangerous, and you need to get inside. That touches on our next question here. Now that it's late October, are lightning strikes more rare this time of year? Well, they are, and we look at the peak season being July, and as we head into the fall months, the amount of lightning across the United States diminishes, but that still doesn't make it any less deadly than it is at the other times of the year. What are the most important safety tips people should take to stay away from lightning? Well, the most important thing is to plan ahead, listen to the forecast, if thunderstorms are predicted, consider canceling or postponing an activity. If you do go out, keep an eye on the sky. If you hear thunder, head to a safe place immediately, and once you're in that safe place, remain there for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder. John Desinius, lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council. Thanks so much for joining us again here on AccuWeather Early. Thank you.

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