TN, MS, AR in top 10 states for lightning strike danger

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Now that it’s summer, tornado season is behind us and a new most dangerous type of severe weather has emerged: lightning.

Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee are in the top 10 states for lightning strikes.

“So, the big thing that we try to tell people is if you’re outside try to get inside,” said Amber Schlessiger, with National Weather Service – Memphis.

Lightning bolts form when rising air in thunderstorms separates positive and negative charges in the air. When the difference becomes too much — BOOM.

“There are things called bolts out of the blue where lightning can actually come out of a thunderstorm cloud and strike in areas where it’s not raining,” said Aaron Treadway, a National Weather Service lightning expert.

This is what happened to Jacob Brewer, who was struck while on a family vacation to Florida.

“We were on the beach, and we were leaving, and I was struck, and I was just out and the next thing I know I was in the hospital,” Brewer said.

As bystanders performed CPR, the storm moved in.

“There was so much lightning it was all around us, it kept hitting the sand. You could smell it burning the sand,” said Barbara Brewer, Jacob’s mother.

It took 10 days in the hospital for Jacob to pull through. He was left paralyzed from the waist down and with permanent neurological injuries.

So, remember to find a sturdy shelter and wait at least 30 minutes after the last strike. Trees and partial structures like dugouts are not safe. When in doubt, remember the saying:

“When thunder roars, go indoors, or see a flash, dash inside.” said Treadway.

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