Lightning crackles across the night sky over Lake Minnehaha… (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel…)
Central Florida is a paradise for the most lethal weather phenomenon in the state.
Dubbed "Lightning Alley" by meteorologists, the thunderstorms between Tampa and Titusville generate hundreds of thousands of bolts that cause billions in damage each year.
The Sunshine State is the leader in deaths by lightning — and recent research has found the majority of those deaths happen when Floridians are having fun.
John Jensenius of the National Weather Service in Washington, D.C., has been tallying lightning death statistics since 2006 and discovered that more 60 percent of those struck were engaging in leisurely activities.
Floridians are particularly vulnerable because of the humid climate and the number of outdoor activities that take place throughout the year.
"Florida has more lightning per square mile than any other state in the country," Jensenius said. "Because thunderstorms are a part of everyday life [in Central Florida], people take that danger for granted."
In Central Florida on Sunday, 25 people were left homeless when lightning struck the roof of their Sanford apartment complex and sparked a fire in the attic of the three-story building.
Thunderstorms that day sparked two other house fires in Sanford and Avalon Park and one other home went up in flames in Daytona Beach the day before. Homes were damaged in both but no one was hurt.
Why Central Florida??
Metro Orlando is at the center of strong weather systems — sea breezes — that move inland from the ocean and settle over the moisture-rich atmosphere of the central region.
The sea breezes are like weak cool fronts that push toward the hot land in the interior. The temperature differential creates the ideal conditions for thunderstorm development.
Thunderclouds and showers form along the boundaries and become stronger when the east-west sea breezes collide in the middle of the state. Lightning can strike well away — about 10 miles — from a thunderstorm. If you can hear the rumble, a bolt is close enough to hit.
"People should take lightning very seriously due to the higher coverage of thunderstorms we get on a daily basis," said meteorologist Derrick Weitlich of the National Weather Service in Melbourne. "There's much more opportunity for people outdoors to be struck when they are not paying attention."
Florida lightning facts
On average, 73 people are killed each year by lightning in the U.S. About nine are killed in Florida on average each year.
Florida tops the national list for lightning deaths with 468 deaths between 1959 and 2013. No other state even comes close. Texas was second with 216.
Of those struck between 2006 and 2012, 82 percent were men.
Since 2006, 64 percent of lightning deaths nationwide (238) occurred when people were participating in leisure activities such as fishing, camping, boating, soccer and golf.
Florida averages about 1.4 million lightning strikes a year. Nationwide, it's more than 22 million strikes.
Lightning can generate heat up to 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit and several million volts of electricity.
Lightning stories around Florida
People waiting too long to seek safety or underestimating the threat of lightning make grave mistakes, Jensenius said.
•In May, Phyllis Kalinowski became the first Florida lightning fatality of 2013. The 51-year-old mother of two was walking along Belleair Beach in Pinellas County when an evening thunderstorm pushed west across Tampa Bay generating lots of lightning. A friend found Kalinowski collapsed on the shoreline and she died at the scene, news reports say.
•Aaron Singleton was on a boat with a friend on Lake Okeechobee in early June when a storm approached. The 57-year-old West Palm Beach man tried to avoid the storm by docking their boat at the ramp. But lightning struck before they could disembark. Singleton died, and his friend was knocked unconscious, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
•Benjamin Gonzalez, 30, was playing soccer with his church group in Lakeland on the Fourth of July in 2009 when lightning struck out of the blue, according to news reports. Gonzalez died and 18 others were injured. There was barely drizzle.
•Lifeguard Justin Inversso, 21, was helping people off the water slide at Adventure Island in Sept. 2011 as a coming storm bore down on the Tampa-area water park. He was struck and killed.
•In one of the strangest stories, a Hialeah a man was selling religious books door-to-door in June 2007 when he was struck by dry lightning. Hailu Kidane Marian, 40, was knocked to the ground, went into cardiac arrest and later died.
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Safety tips and guidelines
There is no safe place outside during a lightning storm. The best you can do is avoid standing around trees, in open areas or laying flat on the ground.
The 30-30 rule: When you see lightning flash, count the number of seconds until you hear its thunder. If the thunder roars in 30 seconds or less, the storm is already close enough to be dangerous and its time to find shelter.
Get inside a fully-enclosed building not a gazebo, hut or cabana.
Stay away from electronics, windows and plumbing that can conduct electricity. Stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder. Unplug appliances before the storm.
If there is no building nearby, the next best thing is to get inside a car or bus with a solid metal roof.
If a car or building is not an option, seek lower elevation, get as low to the ground as you possible can without lying down and get away from bodies of water.
Do not raise umbrellas or golf clubs above you.
Source: NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration