For immediate release

Contact Ewen Thomson, Marine Lightning Protection Inc.

EwenT@marinelightning.com Tel. 352-373-3485

www.marinelightning.com

Some lightning facts

About 70 people are killed each year by lightning strikes, according to the National Weather Service. More than 600 survive lightning strikes but suffer varying degrees of disability.

Fatalities tend to happen more often in the coastal Southeast and Gulf Coast states as well as several states along the Great Lakes, including New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois.

According to NASA, Florida has twice as many lightning casualties (deaths and injuries combined) as any other state. Most lightning casualties occur in the afternoon—two-thirds between noon and 4 p.m. with casualties maximum at 4. Sunday has 24% more deaths than other days, followed by Wednesday. Lightning reports reach their peak in July.

A third of all lightning fatalities and injuries occur during recreational activities, including boating.

According to Boat US claim statistics from 2000 to 2003, 0.54% of cruising size sailboats got struck per year. In Florida, the rate was about double that. For catamarans the US-wide figure was 1.2% per year, so in Florida the rate was probably 2.4% per year for catamarans.  (41% of all Boat US claims originated in Florida.)

Ewen Thomson’s research suggests that the probability of a boat being struck by lightning in Tampa Bay is as high as 4% in any given year.