Multiple sources tell News4Jax that a teen was struck by lightning Saturday afternoon in the Switzerland neighborhood following the storms that came through Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
Neighbors said they saw the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and paramedics were seen responding to a house on Roberts Road off State Road 13 in St. Johns County.
A source told News4JAX the teen was in a tree when either the tree or she got hit.
She was taken to the Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Her condition is unclear.
The St. Johns County Fire Rescue spokesperson said crews did respond to an injury call but did not specify the cause.
A neighbor in the area said they heard a loud bang as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground each year in the United States.
The C.D.C. says Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the country, with more than 2,000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years.
Dr. Jimmy Dourado, with the HCA Memorial Hospital, said about 10% of people who get struck by lightning have fatal incidents, and about 90% of survivors get injuries ranging from skin burns to heart attacks and blunt trauma.
Dourado says recovery time from the injury varies by person.
“Direct strikes are obviously more concerning than spot strikes where you’ll have an electrical discharge close by and this can affect the victim,” he said.
The doctor said it’s best to pay attention to weather forecasts to plan your day accordingly and if you hear thunder, go inside.