Florida lightning strike kills 20-year-old man

A 20-year-old man from Michigan was killed by a fatal cloud-to-ground lightning strike near a hotel in Celebration, Florida, on Tuesday, September 8. The incident occurred around 6:32 p.m., marking the 15th lightning-related death in the United States so far this year and the sixth death in Florida.

Meteorologists from AccuWeather noted that the strike exemplifies the danger of a “bolt from the blue,” a phenomenon where lightning travels from a thunderstorm to strike the ground in an area where skies may appear relatively clear. Data from the AccuLightning Network indicated rapid lightning activity in the area, with 71 lightning events detected within 15 miles of the property between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. EDT. Of the 30 cloud-to-ground strikes detected during that window, 29 had negative polarity.