7 percent of lightning victims are military

7 percent of lightning victims are military

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 22, 2010 10:27:53 EDT

Lightning strikes an average of 400 people a year, the National Weather Service says — and recent data shows that about 7 percent of them are service members.

While only about 20 percent of people hit by lightning die, those who live may have to deal with severe injuries, including deep burns where the lightning makes contact, for the rest of their lives. A lightning strike can lead to loss of limb, vision or hearing loss, weakness or numbness in the limbs, temporary paralysis, memory problems, headaches and, believe it or not, a fear of storms.

Since January 2009, some 42 service members have been hit by lightning, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. Of those, 29 were soldiers and nine were airmen. In February, three airmen were hit by a single lightning strike in Florida.
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7 percent of lightning victims are military