Lightning Strikes In Illinois: How To Stay Safe Outdoors

ILLINOIS — A pine tree remains standing albeit with some pieces of bark stripped from its surface after dual lightning strikes hit a PGA golf tournament over the weekend, including one strike that hit the tree.

Six fans were sheltering from extreme weather under the tree when they were injured at the Atlanta golf course hosting the tournament after being hit by falling debris from the same tree they sought refuge under. All the injured fans had since been released from the hospital and officials deemed the tree safe.

Extreme weather disrupting sporting and other outdoor events is not at all uncommon. Organizers usually have plans in place to alert guests to impending weather and to evacuate and remove them from harm's way. However, mass panic that at times ensues in such situations makes the process less than orderly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lightning is the most frequent weather hazard affecting athletic events. As part of an action plan to deal with such events, the CDC says venues should have an evacuation plan, a person monitoring weather forecasts and a safe shelter.

During a lightning strike, officials caution not to shelter under a tree, saying it's the second-leading cause of lightning casualties.

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No lightning-related deaths have been reported this year in Illinois. Between 2009-2018, there were five deaths from lightning in Illinois, according to records compiled by the National Weather Service.

How To Stay Safe When Lightning Hits

Patch reached out to the National Weather Service's lightning safety expert, Jeff Peters, who provided us with a list of tips for both fans and recommendations for outdoor venues:

• Avoid open fields and isolated tall structures (including trees and human-made towers).
• Be aware of the weather forecast for the day of the event, paying close attention to the potential for storms with their timing and whether they'll be severe.
• On the day of the event, have one or more dedicated people monitoring the weather (weather watchers) both outside and with technology (internet access to the National Weather Service forecast, etc.) for updates to the forecast, as changes are possible with the timing and potential severity of the storms (if that is a concern for the day).
• Have an Action Plan for your outdoor venue, knowing how long it will take to ensure everyone can reach a substantial building (with wiring and plumbing) and/or a hard-topped vehicle before the storms reach your area.
• Note: Lightning can strike at least 5-10 miles from the main storm cloud. This knowledge needs to be included in an event's Action Plan.
• Everyone working the event needs to know the Action Plan and use it when the Action Plan is activated.
• Lightning can strike as the storms depart, after the rain has ended. NWS recommends people waiting 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going outside.

In Atlanta on Saturday, Mark Russell, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competitions, explained that there is a meteorologist on site monitoring for thunderstorms. Officials were aware of the potential for so-called "pop-up thunderstorms."

"We have a meteorologist on site. We can monitor that," Russell told The Associated Press. "And a lot of times, we get lucky and we don't get hit with thunderstorms, especially when it's a situation when they're pop-ups like that."

When play is suspended, Russell said fans are encouraged to take shelter anywhere they can find it. Organizers also opened up hospitality areas for fans.

"You've got a lot of people, and you have to do that quickly, and sometimes people don't take shelter," Russell told the AP.

In cases where people can have advanced warning and seek shelter before the storms, Peters said their chances of being struck by lightning is lowered. But lightning can strike when it isn't raining, between 5-10 miles away from the storm cloud and can strike as storms depart. Peters said that's why the NWS recommends people wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before going outside.

The National Weather Service has a voluntary recognition program in place for outdoor arenas that take steps outlined by the agency to better protect against lightning and other extreme weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes. Patch reached out to the NWS to see if the agency had a list of the venues that comply with the program but officials were unable to provide an answer.

Lightning Deaths In U.S.

In 2019 so far, there have been 13 lightning-related deaths in the U.S.

Between 2006-2018, there have been just under 400 lightning-related deaths in the U.S. An analysis by the National Lightning Safety Council shows that fishermen accounted for more than three times as many deaths as golfers. Moreover, those who were outdoors or camping accounted for twice as many deaths as golf. In all, there were 10 golf-related lightning deaths in the 13-year period. Among sports related-lightning deaths, golf had the second-highest number of deaths with the leading sport being soccer that had 12 deaths. The analysis also concluded that men are more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

The analysis highlighted the importance of getting to safety immediately when there is a threat of a lightning strike.

"The inability and unwillingness to get to a safe place in a timely manner both contribute to many lightning fatalities," the analysis said. "Many people wait far too long to start heading to safety, and that puts them in a dangerous and potentially deadly situation."

Since in some situations it takes longer to get to safety, it is imperative that those in charge of the events monitor conditions so that everyone can seek shelter at the first sign of a developing storm.