[Table of Contents]

5. LIGHTNING IMPACTS IN 1890s COMPARED to 1990s

A. OVERVIEW

Setting

Table 48 and Figure 9 compare lightning deaths stratified by setting from the two datasets (from Tables 3 and 24). There were three times as many Rural deaths as Urban in the 1890s. In the 1990s, Urban deaths are somewhat more common than Rural. However, in many cases it was not possible to determine whether the setting was Urban, Rural, or Unknown.

Somewhat fewer injuries than deaths were reported in Rural areas in the 1890s (Table 3). Such a result probably indicates a large number of underreported injuries in these situations. Therefore, meaningful comparisons can not be made between injuries in the two datasets.

TABLE 48. Comparison of number and percentage of lightning deaths 100 years apart by setting.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Number % Number %
Rural 179 47% 47 20%
Urban 58 15 56 23
Unknown 140 37 136 57
Total 377   239  



A graphical representation of the data in Table 48.
FIGURE 9. Rural versus Urban lightning-related deaths 100 years apart.

 

Without Unknown cases, Table 49 and Figure 10 compare lightning deaths stratified by setting from the two datasets. There were three times as many Rural deaths as Urban in the 1890s. In the 1990s, Urban deaths are somewhat more common than Rural.

TABLE 49. Comparison of number and percentage of lightning deaths 100 years apart by setting, without Unknown cases.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Number % Number %
Rural 179 76 47 46%
Urban 58 24 56 54
Total 237   103  



A graphical representation of the data in Table 49.
FIGURE 10. Rural versus Urban lightning-related deaths 100 years apart, without Unknown cases.

 

Incident

Table 50 and Figure 11 compare deaths by type of incident (from Tables 4 and 25). Indoors was the most frequent type in the 1890s, while it is very infrequent in the 1990s. Outdoors is most common in the 1990s, and also was frequent a century ago. Recreation is now the second-largest category, but was very infrequent a century ago. Agriculture was a frequent incident in the 1890s, but is a minor type in recent years.

TABLE 50. Comparison of the number and percentage of types of lightning death incidents 100 years apart.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Number % Number %
Agriculture 74 20% 19 8%
Indoors 111 29 10 4
Outdoors 86 23 98 41
Recreation 8 2 68 28
Small structures 2 <1 6 3
Sports 16 4 19 8
Unknown 80 21 19 8
Total 377   239  

When Unknown cases are removed, Table 51 and Figure 12 compare deaths by type of incident. The dominance of Agriculture in the 1890s and increase in Recreation and Sports in the 1990s are evident. Lightning casualties were also found to increase since 1950 in Colorado while agricultural casualties decreased (López et al., 1995). In addition, Baker (1984) related the reduction in lightning deaths in the United Kingdom to a reduction in people in agricultural work.

TABLE 51. Comparison of the number and percentage of types of lightning death incidents 100 years apart, without Unknown entries.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Number % Number %
Agriculture 74 25% 19 9%
Indoors 111 37 10 5
Outdoors 86 29 98 45
Recreation 8 3 68 31
Small structures 2 1 6 3
Sports 16 5 19 9
Total 297   220  


A graphical representation of the data in Table 50.

FIGURE 11. Comparison of the percentage of types of lightning death incidents 100 years apart.

 


A graphical representation of the data in Table 51.

FIGURE 12. Comparison of the percentage of types of lightning death incidents 100 years apart, without Unknown cases.

Setting and incident

Tables 52 and 53, and Figures 13 and 14 compare setting and type of incident (from Tables 5 and 26) of lightning deaths. Most of the Agriculture incidents were in Rural settings. Indoors incidents in the 1890s were evenly divided between Rural and Urban, but many were in Unknown settings. A major change occurred in the Outdoors category; incidents were mainly Rural in the 1890s, but are now mainly Urban. Recreation increased greatly such that many are now in Rural settings.

TABLE 52. Comparison of the type of incidents in Urban and Rural lightning deaths 100 years apart.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Rural Urban Unknown Rural Urban Unknown
No./ % No./ % No./ % No./ % No./ % No./ %
Agriculture 69/18 1/>0 4/1 13/5 0/0 6/3
Indoors 30/8 27/7 54/14 0/0 2/1 8/3
Outdoors 48/13 13/3 25/7 3/1 36/15 59/25
Recreation 4/1 4/1 0/0 25/10 10/4 33/14
Small structures 0/0 1/>0 1/>0 2/1 0/0 4/2
Sports 7/2 1/>0 8/2 0/0 5/2 14/6
Unknown 21/6 11/3 48/13 14/2 3/1 12/5
Total 179 58 140 47 56 136

Summary

The combination of these results profiles the most common lightning deaths. In the 1890s, a fatality most often was in an Indoors, Outdoors, or Agriculture activity/ location in a Rural setting. In the 1990s, a victim was most often in an Outdoors or Recreation activity/ location in an Urban setting.


A graphical representation of the data in Table 52.

FIGURE 13. Comparison of the percentage of types of lightning death settings and incidents 100 years apart.

 

TABLE 53. Comparison of the type of incidents in Urban and Rural lightning deaths in the US 100 years apart, without Unknown entries.
Incident 1890s 1990s
Rural Urban Rural Urban
No./ % No./ % No./ % No./ %
Agriculture 69/34 1/>0 13/14 0/0
Indoors 30/15 27/13 0/0 2/2
Outdoors 48/23 13/6 3/3 36/38
Recreation 4/2 4/2 25/26 10/10
Small structures 0/0 1/>0 2/2 0/0
Sports 7/3 1/>0 0/0 5/5
Total 158 47 43 53

A graphical representation of the data in Table 53.

FIGURE 14. Comparison of the percentage of types of lightning death settings and incidents 100 years apart, without Unknown cases.

 

Next: Chapter 5, Section B: Comparisons by type of incident