'When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors': New Jersey's Lightening Strike Survivor Details Her Frightening Experience

Recently, lightning strikes took the lives of three people outside the White House in Washington, D.C.

Donna Mueller and James Mueller of Janesville, Wisc., both in their 70s, succumbed to their injuries after the strike at Lafayette Park on Thursday night.

The bank executive from Los Angeles, California, Brooks Lambertson, 29, vice president of City National Bank, was the third victim. A fourth person was also wounded and is in critical condition.

Also, a 22-year-old man from Boston died of cardiac arrest after he was struck by lightning in Wyoming on August 2 while backpacking during an expedition in Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Take smart precautions against lightning strikes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clearly state that lightning strikes can happen anywhere on Earth. It says, "There are about 6,000 lightning strikes every minute, more than 8 million strikes every day."

"You can save yourself and your loved ones if you know what to do when you see lightning or hear thunder as a warning. The risk of being struck by lightning is low, but the consequences of lightning strike wounds are serious," the CDC says.

It adds, "From 2006 through 2021, lightning caused an average of 28 deaths per year in the United States."

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N.J. lightning strike victim shares her shocking experience

Linda Venuto-Deal, N.J., a lightning strike survivor, described her frightening experience. She said she was not outside at the time and was inside her house, in the basement, when it happened.

As per CDC, about a 3rd of lightning wounds occur indoors.

She said, on August 23, 1993, a bolt of lightning hit the ground pipe of her house while she was inside.

She recalls the precise strike date that sent her to the emergency room and left scars because she took detailed notes about what happened.

She said, "I was doing the laundry." She said that she had two loads of wash in progress. The family had just returned from a trip to an amusement park.

Venuto-Deal said, "And I was taking clothes out of the dryer and was reaching in, grabbing my daughter's lime-green T-shirt," adding, "I was taking out the clothes when the lightning hit at that moment."

After hitting a ground pipe outside her house, she said the lightning traveled through to her basement and arced into the dryer.

She said, "It went into my pinkie finger and my ring finger on my left hand," adding, "Pretty amazing, I know," recounting the experience.

She recalled, "The lightning then went up my arm, into my face, down my body and left leg, and out my foot."

She admitted, "It hit the floor like a giant checkmark sign and then it went into the wall. And that's when it dissipated."

She circled the burn mark on her basement floor to know exactly where it hit.

"I had it there for years and years until I finally had the basement painted," she added.

She added, after all these years, "I still have the scar on my foot, too." She described the strike as dry lightning; it wasn't raining outside.

The most bizarre thing for her is that "I heard this faraway screaming," she said. She immediately thought about her daughter upstairs in the kitchen and wondered frantically if she was OK.

She admitted, "But it was actually my voice. It was so disconnected from me that it sounded like it was coming from outside my house."

She recalled that the lightning killed one of her trees outside, and "it blew out the appliances in the house. It cracked all the archways in my home, too."

Venuto-Deal added, "The only reason the doctor said it did not kill me was that I had no shoes on at the time, and it had an outlet. I was barefoot, and it came out of my foot. It did not stay inside my body."

She got to the hospital, "I went to the E.R., and it was pouring rain by then," she recalls that memorable evening, adding, "I was numb, and my two fingers were purple for a while. And the side of my face was numb, on that left side."

She also admitted that she had a "tingly feeling" in her face and arm, which "lasted a few days." The New Jersey resident said that doctors checked her out fully; her blood pressure and temperature were taken.

Venuto-Deal said she was not kept overnight in the hospital; she was sent home later that day.

Developed high blood pressure

The NJ resident said, "The funny thing is that right after that, I developed high blood pressure, at the age of 40."

She said, "I always thought, 'I'm only 40 years old.'" She said she'd been treated for high blood pressure ever since.

She said, "Also interesting is that I developed breast cancer on that side five years later. I didn't have any science to back me up. Only what I think."

She added that her hair stood on end due to the lightning strike, and she had "amazingly long hair" at that point, down to her legs, she said.

She said, the hair on her arms also "prickled right up," adding that was her only experience with lightning, "Thank goodness."

She added, "I have survived darn near everything."

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What to do next when someone is struck by lightning

Dr. Oren N. Gottfried, M.D., professor of neurosurgery, said, "When an individual is struck by lightning, they require prompt medical assistance. If more than one individual is injured, treat or attend to any unconscious victims first."

He added, "The most crucial injuries are cardiac arrest or severe neurological injury."

Also, he said, "Some people struck by lightning may appear dead, with no pulse or recognizable breathing, but will still have a reasonable chance for survival."

He added, "It's important to recognize that people may initially look much sicker than they are, and immediate, aggressive care greatly improves survival rates."

Gottfied noted, "It is safe to touch and offer care to the person, as the body does not keep a charge."

He continued, "If the victim is unconscious, not breathing well or at all, or has no pulse, call 911 and start standard CPR immediately. It'.s necessary to continue CPR for long periods for an otherwise healthy person struck by lightning, as many victims can survive."

Dr. Marc Siegel said, "thermal burns, breathing problems, confusion, irregular heartbeat, and cardiac arrest can all occur after a lightning strike."

Siegel also said that "personality changes, seizures, dizziness, muscle pain, loss of consciousness and coma can all occur. It is necessary to treat the burns, sometimes with surgical debridement."

He noted that "immediate immobilization and CPR when needed saves lives."

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 Is there any safe place outside if lightning strikes?

As per NWS, there is "no safe place outside" when thunderstorms are in your area. It says, "If you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm."

The NWS adds, "Just remember: 'When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.' Several people wait far too long to get to a safe place when thunderstorms approach. Unfortunately, these delayed actions lead to many lightning deaths and injuries in the United States."

What are the odds of being struck by lightning?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the chance of an individual in the U.S. being struck by lightning during a given year is one in 1.2 million.

The odds of being struck in your lifetime (estimated to be 80 years) are 1 in 15,300.

 

What if your home is struck by lightning?

If your home is struck by lightning, insurance agents suggest you call 911 to have firefighters check to see if there are any hidden hotspots in walls or attic spaces.

After the property has been deemed safe, take photos and detailed notes of the damage and make sure time stamps are on all entries, suggested American Family Insurance, as Fox Weather pointed out.

An insurance agent and adjuster will need this vital information, most likely, during a damage assessment.

Experts also warn that you'll likely have to pay a deductible before insurance kicks in to cover the entire loss.