Houston injury attorneys remark that the recent spate of storms lingering in southeast Texas has taken a heavy toll on our area, with massive amounts of flood-related losses and weather-related traffic accidents. Sunday added two saddening fatalities from a lightning strike to the list of storm devastation.
2 men sheltering under a tree during a fast-moving storm were tragically killed when lightning struck that tree just past noon on Sunday in north Houston. A third man that was with them is being treated for burns and injuries at the hospital. The three men, unidentified in news accounts of the incident, reportedly were in their 30s or 40s.
The fatal lightning strike occurred at La Escondida Soccer Club where at least 200 people were gathered to play and watch soccer matches on the Club’s 4 fields. The Club was open for play from 9 am to 4 pm when the fast-moving storm took the gathered soccer enthusiasts by surprise. (Source: KTRK, July 15, 2012)
Our Houston injury attorneys note that July is traditionally the month that registers the largest number of fatalities from lightning strikes. 9 deaths to date have been recorded by the National Weather Service. Today’s toll in Houston will add two more victims to that sobering list.
This tragic event at La Escondida Soccer Club demonstrates that Texas storms are not to be taken lightly. Storms can not only lead to fatal drownings, traffic accidents, and lightning strikes, but also to structural collapses that claim multiple lives. We can’t emphasize enough that you should always take shelter indoors if possible during a storm. As the two fatalities at La Escondida Soccer Club reveal, even an apparently mild and fast-moving storm can have tragic consequences.
Learn more about fatal structural collapse dangers from storm winds in our Houston injury attorneys’ related article on the topic, linked in the title of this post.