In the United States, most incidents occur between May through September with nearly 70% of incidents occurring in the afternoon or early evening. Up to 74% of survivors may have some form of permanent disability. Most deaths occur within one hour of injury and are due to fatal arrhythmia or respiratory failure. Greater than 80% of victims are males with most deaths occurring in individuals 20 to 45 years old. ![]() Geography also plays a role in some areas with mountainous terrain will often experience more lightning strikes than surrounding lower elevation areas. Though likely underestimated, in the United States there are approximately 400 lighting injuries and 40 deaths annually. Areas with higher occurrences of thunderstorms will have a higher incidence of lightning strikes. ![]() Lightning does not occur in a uniform pattern, globally. Ground current is the most common mechanism of injury, accounting for one-half, and occurs when lightning strikes an object/ground near an individual and then travels through the ground to an individual. Side splash accounts for one-third of injuries and happens when the current jumps or "splashes" from a nearby object then following the path of least resistance to an individual. Contact injuries occur by touching an object that is struck. Direct strikes are rare, accounting for 5%, and occur when a person is directly struck by lightning creating an uninterrupted connection between the person and the bolt. Not all lightning injuries occur during the same manner with injuries being classified as a direct strike, side splash, contact injury, or ground current. A victim’s exposure typically last from 1/1000 to 1/10 of a second. Lighting can be both negatively and positively changed, and can take the form of both direct and alternating current. The temperature of a lightning bolt is also extremely hot, reportedly as high as 30 thousand Kelvin. ![]() A bolt of lightning can carry a voltage exceeding 10 million volts with a massive current typically between 30 thousand to 110 thousand amperes. Lightning carries with it a tremendous amount of energy.
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