DENVER — The lightning death of a Jackson County rancher on Saturday was the first such fatality in Colorado in almost four years and the first lightning death in the U.S. this year.
Mike Morgan, 51, was feeding his cattle from a trailer when he was struck and died on Saturday on an open pasture outside Rand, about 80 miles northwest of Denver, according to Jackson County authorities. The strike also bowled over about 100 head of cattle, killing 34 of them.
The last time lightning killed a person in Jackson County was in June 2006.
Below are statistics on lightning in Colorado and safety tips on what to do when lightning is nearby.
Lightning deaths in Colorado
Since 1980, 101 people have been killed and 488 injured by lightning in Colorado, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The last time lightning killed a person in Colorado was in June 2020, when a 65-year-old woman died while walking in a subdivision in La Plata County, according to NWS.
Before that, other lightning deaths over the past 10 years were:
- A 36-year-old man while hiking in July 2019 in Boulder County.
- A 37-year-old woman while riding a horse in May 2017 in Douglas County.
- A 23-year-old man while biking in August 2017 in Telluride.
- A 23-year-old man who sheltered under a tree while golfing in July 2016 in Arvada.
- A 45-year-old man who was standing outside a cabin under a tree in August 2016 in Larimer County.
- A 31-year-old woman who was hiking in July 2015 on Mt. Yale.
- A 42-year-old woman who was hiking in July 2014 in Rocky Mountain National Park.
- A 52-year-old man who was at an overlook parking area at Rocky Mountain National Park in July 2014.
On average, lightning causes two fatalities and 12 injuries per year in the state, according to NWS.
Between 2008 and 2018, Colorado ranked seventh in the U.S. for lightning fatalities.
How often does lightning strike in Colorado?
In an average year, about a half-million lightning flashes hit the ground in Colorado. Between 2009 and 2018, Colorado ranked 19th in the U.S. for the number of ground lightning strikes, according to the NWS.
Which Colorado county has the most lightning injuries and deaths?
Between 1980 and 2021, El Paso County saw 10 deaths and 84 injuries from lightning, including one particularly bad day on July 31, 2013, when 12 people were injured.
Larimer County came in second with 10 fatalities and 76 injuries.
No Colorado county had zero injuries or fatalities between 1980 and 2021, but a handful came close. Moffat, Mineral and Ouray had one recorded fatality, while Alamosa, Lincoln and Logan had one injury. Jackson County had one fatality, as well, until the death on Saturday.
In the Denver/Boulder area between 1980 and 2021:
- Adams: 4 fatalities, 14 injuries
- Arapahoe: 3 fatalities, 28 injuries
- Boulder: 5 fatalities, 31 injuries
- Denver: 3 fatalities, 25 injuries
- Douglas: 2 fatalities, 17 injuries
- Jefferson: 9 fatalities, 38 injuries
What month has the most lightning injuries and deaths in Colorado?
Between 1980 and 2021, July had the both the most injuries (165) and fatalities (36) from lightning statewide, according to NWS. That was followed by June, with 133 injuries and 21 deaths, and August with 93 injuries and 18 deaths.
That mirrors national statistics. Between 2006 and 2021, July had the most number of fatalities in the U.S. with 147, followed by June with 99 and August with 77, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the odds of being struck by lightning?
According to the Lightning Safety Council, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year is 1-in-1.6 million.
Your odds depend on your behavior when lightning is in the area. If you always go indoors before lightning becomes a threat, your odds of being struck are almost zero, the council says.
How to stay safe around lightning
The CDC offers the following safety guidelines:
- Go inside if you hear thunder or see lightning.
- Avoid water during thunderstorms. Don't bathe, shower or wash dishes. Lightning can travel through a building's plumbing.
- Don't touch electronic equipment or any metal wires or bars. Don't use anything connected to an electrical outlet such as computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers or stoves.
- Stay away from window, doors, porches and concrete.
- If you're outside, be aware of the forecast before heading out. Stay away from open spaces like golf courses, parks and playgrounds, and avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles and golf carts.
- Open outdoor structures like picnic shelters, tents, gazebos and baseball dugouts don't provide protection from lightning.
- If you're caught outside with no safe shelter, get off elevated areas like hills and mountain ridges. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears. Never shelter under a tree or lie flat on the ground. Get away from bodies of water.
- Don't leave your pet outdoors during a thunderstorm.
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