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Because thunderstorms are hazards that are not bounded by <br />geographic or topographic characteristics, there are no definite <br />means to determine whether or not the extent of this hazard <br />differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction within Indian River <br />County. <br />Perhaps the most dangerous and costly effect of <br />thunderstorms is lightning. As a thunderstorm grows, electrical <br />charges build up within the cloud. Oppositely charged particles <br />gather at the ground below. The attraction between positive <br />and negative charges quickly grows strong enough to <br />overcome the air's resistance to electrical flow. Racing toward <br />each other, the charges connect and complete the electrical <br />circuit. Charge then surges upward from the ground at nearly <br />one-third the speed of light and produces a bright flash of <br />lightning (Cappella, 1997). <br />On average, lightning kills more people than any other weather <br />event. Florida leads in the nation in lightning related deaths <br />and injuries. Most lightning strike fatalities occur in June, July, <br />and August. Between 1959 and 2017, there have been <br />498 lightning -related deaths in Florida <br />(https://www.weather.gov/media/safety/59- <br />17 State Ltg Fatality Maps lists.pdf). Nationwide, lightning - <br />related economic losses amount to over $6-7 billion dollars per <br />year, and residential insured losses average $969 million per <br />year (National Lightning Safety Institute, March 2014). <br />Between 1959 and 2019, Indian River County recorded one <br />lightning -related death (Wabasso) and seven injuries (4 <br />Wabasso, 2 Sebastian, 1 Indian River Shores). According <br />to the NCDC, three major lightning incidents caused $1.212 <br />million in property damage. The majority of the damage <br />came on 30 June 2008 when a lightning -related fire <br />destroyed a million dollar home in Vero Beach. <br />Extent/Probability. Indian River County averages more than <br />70 days with thunderstorms per year, with the most frequent <br />occurrences being between the months of July and <br />September. With thunderstorms come lightning and Florida <br />leads the nation for the number of lightning strikes. Both <br />Florida and Indian River County have about 12 strikes per <br />square kilometer per year in some places (National Lightning <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 33 <br />