A pregnant woman was struck by lightning in Fort Myers on Thursday afternoon. According to Lt. Jay Rodriguez, public information officer for the Fort Myers Police Department, she was transported by ambulance to Lee Memorial Hospital. The lightning strike occurred at around 4:30pm in the Whispering Palms gated community. The woman’s identity has not been identified.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), three people have died in the US so far this year. According to meteorologist Andrew McKaughan, who works with the NWS in Tampa, two of those lightning-related fatalities happened there in the Sunshine State.
“We always tell people anytime you hear thunder you are close enough to a thunderstorm to be struck by lightning,” he said. “The best thing to do is to go inside.” The National Weather Service encourages people to repeat the phrase, “When thunder roars, head indoors” –lightning can kill.
