Florida man is first December lightning death this century

A Florida man found dead outside his Panhandle home Tuesday night is believed to have been struck by lightning, according to the National Weather Service.

December lightning deaths are rare, Tuesday’s incident in Escambia County is the first lightning-related December death since 1998 when a man was killed in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

John Jensenius, a lightning expert with the National Weather Service, said Tuesday’s death is the ninth for Florida this year.

Nationally, 38 lightning-related deaths have occurred in 2016, which is the most since 2007.

Cox Media Group