Lightning Strikes Two Jones County Men
GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Two Jones County men are recovering after they were struck by lightning during Thursday night’s storms.
“It was a light show, just continuous lightning, there was no let up,” Jones County EMA and Fire Rescue Chief Don Graham said.
Jones County was under a severe thunderstorm warning late Thursday night. Around 10 o’clock, Graham says his office got a shocking call: two men were struck by lighting at a home on the 1800th block of Highway 18 East.
“The two subjects were up under a car hood working on a car engine,” Graham said.
Graham says the victims were fixing the car under a metallic shed. The 37-year-old and 54-year-old victims showed symptoms that they had been struck, like a metallic taste in their mouth. He tells 41NBC he can’t release their names due to medical privacy laws, but does say they are expected to be okay.
Graham adds lightning strikes can do a lot of damage to your body.
“It affects your heart and you could end up with permanent damage,” he said. “Your heart is run by an electrical system and when you foul up that electrical system then you’ve got damage for the rest of your life.
Now he is urging everyone to stay cautious when the sky strikes back. Some safety tips includes: get indoors immediately, don’t use any electronics, especially ones with cords, stay away from windows, avoid metal and water, and if you are outdoors and can’t get inside a building, then take shelter in your car.
“Its not full proof that you’re safe in your car either, its just like being outside, but you do have that capsule that maybe the electricity or strike will travel in a different direction once it hits the car,” Graham said.
That way you can stay safe as the storm passes.
According to the National Weather Service, so far this year, seven people across the country have died from lightning strikes.
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