Lightning Strikes Kill in U.S. and Europe Amid Extreme Weather
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A series of deadly lightning strikes has claimed lives in the United States and Europe, officials said Thursday, underscoring the dangers of ongoing extreme weather across the Northern Hemisphere.
In the United States a 61-year-old archery instructor was killed late Wednesday when lightning struck the Black Knight Bowbenders Archery Club in the Jackson Township of the U.S. state of New Jersey, authorities confirmed.
The man was giving a lesson when the strike occurred shortly after 7 p.m. local time. Thirteen others—ranging in age from 7 to 61—were reportedly injured and taken to the hospital, several with burns.
Four of the injured children remain in serious condition, local media said. It was the second fatal lightning strike in New Jersey in just one week.
Elsewhere in Europe, Norwegian Olympic medalist Audun Grønvold died after being struck by lightning during a mountain trip, officials said.
The 49-year-old former alpine and freestyle skier, who won bronze in ski cross at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries Tuesday evening. After retiring from competitive skiing, Grønvold worked as a coach and television commentator. The Norwegian Ski Federation called his death “a great loss for both alpine and freestyle skiing.”
WIDESPREAD FLOODING
The deadly lightning strike in New Jersey occurred during a period of widespread flooding and violent thunderstorms in the state.
On Wednesday evening, authorities issued flood and storm warnings across the state, urging residents to stay indoors and exercise caution. The severe weather led Governor Phil Murphy to declare “a state of emergency” earlier in the week.
Since late Monday, heavy rainfall has triggered flash floods in New Jersey and neighboring New York state, flooding roads, homes, and public transit systems.
New York City’s emergency management office warned residents in basements and low-lying areas to evacuate to higher ground. Videos on social media showed water pouring into subway stations, with significant delays on multiple train lines and complete shutdowns, including on Staten Island.
In Scotch Plains, floodwaters reached waist height, prompting firefighters to launch rescue operations using heavy equipment. Major highways were closed in New Providence, and ongoing water rescues were reported.
New York’s Bronx River Parkway, known for flooding during heavy rains, saw water levels rise “very, very quickly,” local officials said. Firefighters rescued multiple people trapped in vehicles.
MORE SUFFERING
There was also suffering in the U.S. state of Virginia, where cities like Colonial Heights and Petersburg were warned of potential “catastrophic damage” due to continued flooding, with residents urged to move to higher ground.
The volatile weather has affected millions, and as the summer season intensifies, preparations for future storms are urgent.
It comes after Worthy News reported on a week that defied probability and stunned the nation, as a string of weather catastrophes already swept from Texas to Illinois, with four separate “1-in-1,000-year” floods that turned roads into rivers, homes into wreckage, and left at least 125 dead.
According to experts, the phrase “1-in-1,000-year event” refers to rare storms with only a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year at a specific location.
Yet within days, catastrophic floods were reported in distant corners of the country, leaving experts stunned and communities scrambling to recover.
“To see historic, record-breaking events in multiple parts of the country in one week is even more alarming,” said Kristina Dahl, Vice President for Science at Climate Central.
The latest weather-related catastrophes have led to new calls to better prepare much of the United States and the Northern Hemisphere for more turbulence ahead.
(With additional reporting by the Worthy News Washington D.C. and Worthy News Europe Bureaus.)
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