How Many People Get Hit By Lightning?

It is estimated that nearly 2000 people a year get hit by lightning around the world, and of these it is believed that between 25 - 33 percent of people die. Injuries arise from the electrical damage, intense heat and mechanical damage that lightning can generate, interestingly however, strike survivors often fare better than victims of other electrical injuries.

A lightning strike can affect humans in four different ways;

Direct Strike
'Splash' from a nearby object that is struck
Ground Strike
ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP), particularly from positive lightning strikes

Strangely, a direct strike can actually cause the least damage if the persons skin resistance is high enough than the bolt will pass around the skin and clothes. Perhaps the most, damaging strike is the ground strike as it can cause a massive potential difference in the earth, and thus depending on the conductivity of the ground may pass through the persons' body as a quicker connection.

Most critical lightning strikes cause injuries to the lungs and circulatory system and central nervous system, which may result in cardiac arrest or arrhythmia, both of which can be fatal. In addition, the large heat generated my cause sever burning to skin.

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