Georgia: Lightning Strikes U.S. Army Base, One Soldier Dead, 9 Injured

A lightning bolt struck the U.S. Army base at Fort Gordon, Georgia. A spokesperson said the lightning strike killed one U.S. Army Reserve soldier and injured nine others. They were struck while on a range at the base.

According to ABC News, the base's spokesperson, Anne bowman, said that ten people were struck, and one succumbed to their injuries. They will not release the names of the people who were struck by the lightning bolt until the next of kin have been notified.

Soldiers Were Taken to the Base's Hospital Immediately

According to the New York Times, the lightning bolt struck at approximately 11:10 a.m. at Training Area 26. The soldiers in the area sustained injuries, but Bowman said they currently do not know the extent of these injuries yet.

EMS and Fort Gordon's Department of Emergency Services responded to the scene immediately. The ten soldiers were then rushed to the base's hospital, Dwight David Eisenhower Medical Center, for treatment. Unfortunately, one did not make it. There is still no word to the condition of the nine others as of writing.

The base is located 10 miles southwest of Augusta, Georgia. It serves as the base for a wing of the U.S. Army's cyber operations called the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. It is also home to the army's information and communication technology training program and other divisions. Around 16,000 servicemen are based in the facility.

Storms Recorded in the Vicinity Around Fort Gordon

Fox Weather reported that Doppler radar showed several storms within the area around Fort Gordon at the time of the incident. Army documents have shown that the base does have a lightning protection system. It also has typical protocols in place. These warn of dangerous storms in the area.

Data from the Lightning Safety Council revealed this would also be marked as the second lightning-related death in the state of Georgia. The previous victim was identified as Felipe Flores, who was loading his tools in a van while at a residence in Mountain City, Georgia. He was 39.

There has been an average of 17 deaths per year in the United States due to lightning strikes. Four hundred forty-six people have died from lightning since 2006, according to the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC). However, the number had been declining at the turn of the century.

The NLSC is still warning people to stay indoors whenever a thunderstorm happens, though. Their safety message has always been, "When thunder roars, go indoors!" The safety council stressed that if caught outside during a lightning storm, one must make it their priority to stay indoors.

Florida remains to have the highest density of lightning strikes in the United States, followed by Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Florida also has the highest number of lightning-related deaths in the U.S., according to Fox Weather.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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