What happens when lightning strikes, how to stay safe

June through August is peak lightning season, and it’s also when 70% of lightning-strike fatalities occur. In the United States so far this year, 12 people have died after lightning strikes, including the 10th death last week in Cape Charles and two more in Florida over the weekend. Over the past decade, an average of 20 people per year have been fatally injured by lightning—about 10% of those struck. Florida leads with 51 deaths, followed by North Carolina with 11 and Virginia with three. Lightning can strike up to 25 miles away, and safety advice is to get indoors immediately, avoid windows, and stay off electrical equipment and plumbing.