Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
2
Property damage
—
Area
Polk
Event narrative (NOAA)
Under partial sunshine, sideflash from a lightning bolt of a distant thunderstorm struck and killed a 47 year old male, injured a 27 year old male and a 20 year female while they stood within 15 feet of a seven foot tall wooden pole on the 300 block of West Fussell Road north of Polk City. The lightning bolt struck the pole which was part of a pole barn under construction next to a 30 foot tall tree.The lightning strike blew off the boots of the injured female and knocked to the ground the 27 year old injured male.
Other notable lightning events in Florida
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.