Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
26
Property damage
—
Area
Polk
Event narrative (NOAA)
Lightning struck in a soccer field as a church group was in the midst of a game and nearby picnic. This strike was a bolt from the blue as there was no rain in the immediate area. Radar detected the core of the storm to be six miles to the south of the location. Eighteen victims were transported to area hospitals where one died from his injuries. Another nine victims were treated on-site with symptoms consistent with a lightning strike.
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.