Lightning can be that way - fickle, unexpected and, in many cases, deadly. Lightning kills about 150 people a year in the United States, said Rich Kithil, director of the National Lightning Safety Institute. Perhaps five times that many are injured, he said. It's so random, arbitrary and capricious. Skies were sunny, the air betraying no hint of a storm.
Water sports are especially dangerous in stormy weather.
Figures from the National Climatic Data Center show that of the six lightning deaths reported in Iowa since 1993, two victims were boating. Lighting safety is a concern for high school officials in Iowa because baseball and softball are played in the summer, the peak time for electrical storms in the state. Umpires have the say on when to get teams off the field and they're constantly reminded of that responsibility in letters and clinics. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union urges its softball umpires to take the same kind of precautions, said Troy Dannen, associate executive secretary. We always say if you're going to err, err on the side of caution.'' Two widely publicized lightning deaths occurred at major golf tournaments in 1991.