[Table of Contents]

B. 1990s CASUALTIES BY TYPE OF INCIDENT

The following tables have details about the activity and location of each death and injury in Storm Data from 1991 to 1995. They are listed in the order of the number of deaths, then injuries, number of events, and alphabetically.

Agriculture

Incidents usually involve work in fields and taking care of cattle on a farm or ranch. Table 27 lists every entry, and Table 28 combines the major groups.

TABLE 27. Activity and location of lightning-related deaths, injuries, and number of separate events in agriculture from 1991 to 1994.
  Deaths Injuries Events
Agriculture Activity

Agricultural

6 10 11

Around animals

4 0 4

Carrying irrigation pipe

1 0 1

Checking on livestock

1 0 1

Hanging tobacco

1 0 1

Picking watermelons

1 0 1

Standing

1 0 1

Tending to cattle

1 0 1

Trying to get tractor in barn

1 0 1

Working on farm equipment

0 2 1

Herding animals on motorbike

0 1 1

Outside moving hay

0 1 1

Sitting in chair

0 1 1

Working on tractor

0 1 1

Unknown/not reported

2 10 6
Agriculture Location

Open field

3 6 6

Farm

3 4 4

Under/near tree

2 0 2

Near irrigation pipe

1 0 1

Near vehicles

1 0 1

Barn

0 5 4

Greenhouse

0 4 1

Open field near farm equipment

0 2 1

Garage-not with house

0 1 1

Ranch

1 0 1
Unknown/not reported 8 4 11
Total 19 26 33

 

TABLE 28. Agricultural activities and locations in the 1990s combined into larger groups from Table 27.
  Deaths Injuries Events
Agriculture Activity

Agricultural

6 10 11
Horses/animals 6 1 7
Tractor 1 1 2
Hay 0 1 1
Agriculture Location Farm/ranch 4 4 5

Open field

3 8 7

Under/near tree

2 0 2

Barn

0 5 4

Indoors

About half of the 1990s Indoors lightning casualties are in the house (Tables 29 and 30). Within the home, most cases involve people on the telephone, near windows and doors, and in contact with plumbing and electrical equipment. Not many people are killed indoors; half of these are in house fires. The ratio of injuries to deaths is 20:1.

Of particular interest is the "On cordless phone" activity in Table 29 on 29 June 1994 in Massachusetts. Storm Data describes the incident as occurring when "A person talking on a cordless telephone in the living room of her house was slightly injured by a lightning strike."

TABLE 29. Same as Table 27 for Indoors.
  Deaths Injuries Events
Indoors Activity

House fire started by lightning

5 5 7

On phone

1 37 37

Near window/doorway

0 15 13

Using radio/headset

0 14 12

Using electric appliance inside home

0 11 11

Playing video game

0 4 1

Unloading vessel

0 4 1

Working in ship's hold

0 4 1

Touching metal table in building

0 3 1

Using electric appliance inside school

0 3 1

Closing window

0 2 2

Turning on light switch

0 2 2

Touching metal sides of a structure

0 2 1

Using a lighting board

0 2 1

Working with phone equipment

0 2 1

Bed/sleeping

0 1 1

Burns from braces

0 1 1

Cooking

0 1 1

Disk jockey using electrical equipment

0 1 1

Grabbing door knob

0 1 1

Holding refrigerator door

0 1 1

Installing air conditioner

0 1 1

Kneeling on metal sheet

0 1 1

Leaning against washing machine

0 1 1

Near glass door

0 1 1

Near radio equipment

0 1 1

On cordless phone

0 1 1

Setting clock radio

0 1 1

Showering

0 1 1

Sitting

0 1 1

Sitting on couch

0 1 1

Standing

0 1 1

Standing next to dryer

0 1 1

Touching metal inside building

0 1 1

Touching metal self

0 1 1

Turning off water faucet

0 1 1

Unloading dishwasher

0 1 1

Using computer

0 1 1

Washing hands

0 1 1

Working at kitchen sink

0 1 1

Working in garage (house)

0 1 1

Working on automobile

0 1 1

Working on electrical equipment

0 1 1

Working on lawn mower

0 1 1

Working on metal table

0 1 1

Unknown/not reported

4 60 47
Indoors Location

House/home

5 87 82

Work

2 13 9

Plumbing in bathroom

1 0 1

Under mobile home

1 0 1

Building

0 12 6

Police station

0 6 6

Garage-with house

0 5 5

Business building

0 4 2

School

0 4 2

Cargo hold of cargo vessel

0 4 1

Mobile home

0 3 3

Building with metal roof

0 3 2

Candy plant

0 3 1

Church

0 3 1

Garage-not with house

0 2 2

Nursing home

0 2 2

Under building with metal roof

0 2 2

911 emergency center

0 2 1

Theater

0 2 1

Apartment

0 1 1

City hall

0 1 1

Fire department building

0 1 1

Fire station

0 1 1

Hospital

0 1 1

In building near pole

0 1 1

Near a phone

0 1 1

Near electric stove

0 1 1

Nursery

0 1 1

Pizzeria

0 1 1

Radio station

0 1 1

Shopping center

0 1 1

Trailer

0 1 1

Unknown/not reported

1 30 26
Total 10 200 169

 

TABLE 30. Indoor activities and locations in the 1990s combined into larger groups from Table 29.
  Deaths Injuries Events
Indoors Activity

Electrical work

8 5 2

House fire

5 5 7

Telegraph/telephone

1 40 39

Routine household

0 31 28

Near window/doorway

0 19 17

Radio/headset

0 14 12

Working inside ship

0 8 2

Bed/sleeping

0 1 1
Indoors Location

House/home/mobile home

7 99 96

Work/store/factory

2 24 16

Fire/police/emergency centers

0 10 9

School

0 4 2

Church

0 3 1

 

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