First, let's take a very brief look at the circumstances when strikes occur and who the strikes affect. Most people think that golfers suffer the highest occurrence of strikes, but that is far from the truth. Fisherman account for the majority of strikes, followed by beach goers, then campers, then boaters. Fishermen account for about three times the number of strikes as golfers do. Males are also much more likely to be struck than females, at about 80% of strikes.
Next, lightning strikes on humans do not all occur in the same manner and can be categorized under four routes of being struck: a direct strike, side splash, contact injury, or ground current. Direct strikes are the least common, accounting for around 5% of strikes, and are a result of the electrical current from the lightning making direct contact with the victim. Side splash strikes are strikes that hit an object near a person, with the lightning arcing, or splashing, from the original strike point to the victim. Contact injuries occur when the victim touches an object that was struck recently and retains an electrical charge that then travels through the victim. The most common route for lightning striking someone is through ground current, accounting for about half of all strikes. This occurs when a strike hits an object or the ground near a person and the lightning travels through the ground to the victim.
Side Effects Of Lightning Strikes
Download All 164 “lightning” video templates compatible with Adobe After Effects unlimited times with a single Envato Elements subscription. The death rate caused by lightning in the U.S. Exceeds that of hurricanes and tornadoes; it's estimated that around 100 U.S. Residents are killed each year by lightning. At any given time there are around 2,000 thunderstorms happening around the world, which produce lightning strikes at a rate of 6,000 per minute.
Those are the four routes of being struck, but now let's look at what actually causes the injuries, as well as the side effects of being struck by lightning. There are three main factors of lightning that cause injury: Electrical energy, heat, and mechanical energy from the other forces interacting. Below, we will look at each of these forces a little more in depth and the distinct side effects each has on the human body during a lightning strike.
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Electrical Injuries
The electrical aspect of lightning is probably the most obvious force at play in lightning injury and is the most common cause of death in lightning strike cases. However, death is relatively uncommon in lightning strikes, with only about 10% of all strike victims sustaining fatal injuries. Those that are unfortunate enough to perish from a strike typically die from cardiac and respiratory arrest due to the electrical current disrupting the human body's natural electrical impulses. Death is more common with direct strikes and is usually the result of asystolic arrest (the most dangerous form of cardiac arrest) and respiratory failure due to paralysis of the lungs.
Even in the majority of cases where death does not occur, the electrical energy of lightning can have very serious side effects on a person. Heart problems are a relatively common side effect of being struck by lightning. The human heart runs using electrical impulses sent from the brain, and when these processes are disrupted, serious complications can arise. Some of these cardiovascular side effects may include cardiac arrest (which is usually what causes death) and irregular heartbeat, which can cause complications in other organs.
Neurological injuries are also possible from the immense electrical energy. Most people who are struck by lightning will immediately lose consciousness and many will have no recollection of the strike and may be confused and have difficulty concentrating or remembering recent events. If the brain trauma is severe enough, they may fall into a coma. Most long term impairments from a strike are generally neurological, with some survivors experiencing chronic dizziness, sleep disturbances, memory problems, irritability, trouble concentrating, headaches, slower reaction time, difficulty multitasking, and/or chronic pain. Some survivors may also experience significant, long term changes to their personalities.
Lightning Effect After Effects
Electrical current from lightning can also cause ocular cataracts, which can be a long term side effect of being struck by lightning. Heat and mechanical energy can also cause injury to the eyes. Strike victims may also experience Lichtenberg scarring, a phenomenon in which scarring appears on the body, outlining the path of the electrical current and believed to be caused by bursting capillary blood vessels under the skin. This scarring may last for a few hours to a few days and is useful in determining cause of death in some victims.