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Subscribe to RSSTwo men are dead and another injured after a lightning strike during a Texas soccer game. KPRC's Ryan Korsgard reports.
Two men died and a third was injured Sunday after lightning struck a tree under which they had been seeking shelter from the rain during a soccer match in north Houston, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.
A men's league soccer club game was being played when it began to rain around 12:10 pm. A group of players took shelter under a tree.
Lighting struck the tree, killing one man at the scene, Deputy Thomas Gilliland, a sheriff’s office spokesman, told NBC News. Two other men were transported by ambulance to a hospital. One was pronounced dead on arrival and the other was in stable condition, Gilliland said.
Names of the victims were not immediately released.
Prior to Sunday, at least nine people have been killed by lightning in eight states this year, according to the National Weather Service.
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I guess these people didn't have parents who told them that if caught in a thunder storm you never go under a tree. You get into a building or in a car but not under a tree. If your Lee Travino who could stand out in the middle of the field holding a one iron over your head, because according to Lee, even God cannot hit a one iron.
William, what's the difference between "your" and "you're"? Oh, you don't know, do you?
Oh! This tragedy is about grammer?
grammar
Your Lee Travino might stand out in a field during a lightning storm. The Lee Travino I know of would not, even with a 1 iron. Since his unfortunate hit by lightening years ago he is wisely the first one of the course. It took about 3 years for him to get back to being a great golfer after his encounter with the lightening bolt.
English is the only foreign language I know...
William,
"I guess these people didn't have parents who told them that if caught in a thunder storm you never go under a tree."
That's right. Trees make fairly good lightening rods even if they are not made of iron. Standing under one in a lightening storm is only going to attract the lightening to where you are standing. It may keep the rain off you, but not the lightening or the tree, either, if it is struck and decides to fall on you.
They probably had this knowledge but unfortunatley did not apply it.
Everyone knows that you get as low to the ground as you can... Not under a tree...
There are plenty of rain storms that suddenly become thunder storms without warning: the article says that it was raining. Perhaps there had been no lightning before the bolt struck the tree, because I've had that happen to me.
It was late afternoon and it had been raining for about ten minutes, maybe a little more. No lightning, no thunder sound, just cold-arse rain. I just came around the corner of the big barn to see of the horse was in when I was blinded and deafened (at the same time!) and I was knocked down to the ground. My hair was standing nearly straight on end: I think I saw some whisps of steam or something and my retnas seemed to be on fire - I just layed there - to Hell with the horse. I was choking on an acrid 'burnt air' smell that I could not get rid of. THERE WAS NO WARNING. The lightning and thunder continued, moving away over about ten or so minutes, but I was NOT about to get up out of the mud (it doesn't strike the same place twice, my dad always told me, so why risk it?). I don't like going out in the rain to this day, because I DO KNOW something about what I call "Stealth Lightning" for lack of a better term. I know it exists because I've seen it up close. There isn't enough info in the article to know whether this kind of thing happened to them or not: but for those saying they were foolish - there isn't enough information to tell. I know one thing from articles on lightning - I feel damn lucky every time I read about deaths from this kind of weather!
I don't doubt your story Alex, but what these people did was not too bright. Given the storms we've been seeing in TX lately, it is highly likely that the sky was clouding and there was plenty of thunder and lightning around. The storms can and do pop up quickly, but that is not unusual. These folk probably did know better, but took the risk and were met with tragedy. My condolences to the victims and their families and friends.
Can we talk about something else that matters to mankind?
"There's nothing mgic about it. If you want to lose weight you have to go into calory deficit, meaning you have to consume few calories than what you need..."
Gumps, you can't make it through a sentence without mauling it - why don't you stick your corrections.
Yeah, take THAT Gumps! (Right, cat-82 doofus?)
You told my joke, except I think it was a 2 iron. Never heard of a 1 iron.
That reminds me of that scene in caddyshack when one golfer was having the best game of his life when it started to storm and he didn't want to get off the course.
Sammy,
Like what? Are you one of those people who post ridiculous comments such as yours to see what kind of reactions you get? You must be one lonely, boring dude.
Two guys are dead and you post idiotic stuff like that?! They had parents and probably wives & children.
Karma, I guess you don't believe in it or you wouldn't have posted something so stupid.
Way to defend the illiterate, cheetah.
No! This tragedy is about a tree in the middle of a soccer field.
It is sad when others suffer at the hand of Mother Nature. There are devices that I've seen that are designed to detect lightning storms so other can remain safe. Has anyone tied any of the lightning detectors like ThunderBolt Lightning Detectors? Just curious if anyone has tied one and how well it works?
Perhaps it could have the one thing that saved lives... With so many lightning strike stories already this year, I am thinking seriously of checking them out!
This is sad but these guys did something really stupid and should have known better. Hopefully people will use this example as a teaching tool for kids to show them that we're not kidding about not standing under trees during a thunderstorm.
Hey Don,
It was Lee Trevino the golfer who made that joke. Boy some of you have not much going on in your"re lives.
I just completed training for AYSO, and it says right in the safe haven course that you do NOT seek cover under a tree, or under a structure that does not have 4 walls (no picnic covering).
Good point. In Germany a few weeks ago four golfers died when they were hit by lighting in a three-sided wooden shelter. It was noted that, aside from the golf clubs, the cell phones may have additionally attracted lightning.
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/ipod.asp
Sounds like smart phones aren't that smart. Or is it that you aren't smart to carry a smart phone in a storm?
Cell phone attracted lightning? Really? how about some documentation to substantiate this claim, or is it just wild speculation? While it is true that being struck while holding an electronic device can increase your injuries, I'm not aware of any evidence supporting the claim that such devices can actually attract lightning.
I'm very sad these men lost their lives. However, with all the knowledge and warnings taught from birth why did they do this? I feel for their families. I'm sure that someone will sue because there probably wasn't a warning posted on the grounds not to go under a tree in the rain.
Or maybe the owner of the tree will be held accountable?
Or maybe the tree itself should be held accountable. Can you sue a tree?
you can definitely sue a tree. it just came out that plants can actually feel pain and remember things. so this tree was probably pissed from having golf balls hit it all day from amatures, it couldn't take it anymore!
I've heard of trees on a golf course but tree on a soccer field? Were they at the wrong venue or were they trying to increase the challenge to the contestants?
When I was 4 years old and living in area were thunderstorms are common, like Texas...NEVER get under trees when it rains! Stupid! This is a simple case of natural selection-literally.
Stupid azzes!!!
Having grown up in Tucson where people died every year from lightning strikes during the summer thunderstorms we always knew to never go near a tree. Safest places...a building, if no building around then a car...if out in the open lie flat on the ground. I feel bad for their families but it did show bad sense.
It's actually better to roll yourself up in a ball on the ground and make yourself as small as possible, thereby making you a very small target and less likely to get zapped.
No worries. The odds of being struck by lightening is about the same as winning a lottery.
Exactly....and these guys may have not grown up in Houston. Not everyone grows up in areas where these events are so frequent so lay off ppl and show some repect. Karma is a bitch.
do not lay flat on the ground - minimize your contact surface with the ground - squat and support yourself on the balls of your feet.
Hard to imagine squating and supporting myself on the balls of my feet for hours.
severe lightning in one given area doesn't usually last hours, or even more than a few minutes. And it's better than being fried and half-brain dead for weeks. I had lightning (with NO indication prior, no thunder, not even raining yet) come through my house in a straight line from the livingroom window into the kitchen where it dispersed and blew out everything electrical and turned the stainless steel and chrome fixtures weird colors. I was down the hallway a good 10 or 12 feet and got knocked on my butt but good, and it never hit me. My landlord screamed at me about ruining all his old appliances (bless his heart, we were in Germany and the poor guy knew no English, except STUPID!!! STUPID!!) I wanted to know why he didn't have lightning arrestors on the house and he wanted to know who is so stupid as to leave a window open during an impending storm. I probably was taught that as a child but never really considered the possibility...maybe what these guys did too. I feel bad for them and for their families and I hope the survivor heals completely.
So who did they p!$$ of so badly that they were taken out by god?
More commonly known as the fatal fetal position.
TX...nuf said.
The headline says that lightning struck the field. The first sentence says that lightning struck a tree. Which is it? if it struck the field and killed people, that would be news and tragic. If it struck a tree they were stupid enough to be standing under, that is evolution in action.
The tree that was struck was in a field. And yes, evolution (Darwinism) in its purest form.
The headlines said the lightning struck a soccer field and the further details say the people were standing under a tree. Therefore the tree was in the soccer field. I'm guessing the soccer field may have actually been the local golf course or they were challenging the players by having to run around a tree in the soccer field.
In golf, players are allowed a handicap based on their level of playing ability. How much of a handicap does a tree in the soccer field count for?
Yes, they made a fatal mistake and yes if they couldn't get a car or building flat on the ground is where they should have stayed...the sad thing is the chance of lightening striking a tree so high and yet let there be someone in it or under it and and suddenly you wish you were that lucky person who was standing in a casino and putting their last dollar in the machine...no money won here..but lives lost and families changed forever..enough of the sarcastic remarks about texas and dumb asses..really? bet you haven't done anything stupid or regretable..this site just seems to get worse and worse with folks who are arm chair quarterbacks that have all the answers and are above reproach...Good luck to all of you..hope nothing happens to you or your family or friends and you or they are a source of ridicule....
Your car is the safest place.
Somebody will probably sue the tree.
Surely there is a way that we can blame Obama for this. Just give me a few minutes.....
Yeh, the O'man is to blame because he's trying to keep environmental laws in place. If they could be scuttled, we would never have lightning again, just heat.
Nope. The Bush's live in Houston so it's their fault. Fox news reported last week that Bush planted that tree.
My condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
My condolences to the family and friends of the men who died. May they RIP.
Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the man who was injured.
In Michigan, we have had thunder and lightning along with snow storms during winter months. I don't recall this ever happening when I was a kid, but it seems to happen more often now. We had a very mild winter this past year, but it's a bit unnerving when you have to watch for lightning when snow is falling, and it doesn't have to be a blizzard, either, any snow seems to trigger it. Imagine being on a ski lift or ice fishing out on a lake and having to dodge lightning strikes.
Darwinism at its best and clearest and purest form. Guess "god" or "jesus" was on holiday when this happened. Clearly these are some sub-intellect dummies if they went under a tree for shelter in a thunderstorm. If welfare were eliminated, these types probably would not have been born in the first place. Welfare promotes reverse evolution... survival of the dumbest least intelligent and least successful genes. The fact is there are two fewer dummies in the human gene pool, and while minor progress, that is a good thing.
That just wasn't necessary, sAy. Trolling or just rude and ignorant? This article says nothing about anyone's income level, job status, or any other statement that justifies your nastiness.
No Trolling, just common sense facts. Intelligent humans do not seek shelter under a tree in a field in a thunderstorm. What part of the equation do you not get?
sAy, you're much sadder than this story.
Of course sAy is sadder than this story. The story was fall on the floor, laughing out loud hilarious. Dive under a tree for cover from a thunder storm in Texas? That's just begging to be hit by lightning. I always find it amusing when people find unique ways to commit suicide.
sAyItLiKeItIs...try reading it like it is...there is no mention of a thunderstorm in this article.
No doubt the fanatics will attempt to convince everyone that this is the result of "GLOBAL WARMING" . . . why not, they blame everything else on it.
Interesting! You're the only one to mention it. Guess we know who the fanatic is.
ROFL
:'( May they rest in peace.
OK...I will preface this with I am sorry of the loss of these gentlemen...and for their families. Now that is out of the way...this has to be the most exciting thing to ever happen on a soccer field. Now...don't stand to close to me...lightning may strike me for that.
This post has nothing to do with the article. MSNBC seems to be having massive problems. Somehow it reset all the cookies I had for the site then when I click on any article on the home page, I get a 404 not found error. I found this article by going to the US News section of MSNBC first then I clicked on the article. Could you pass this on to the Webmasters, I have no idea how to contact them.
Thanks and my apologies for this off topic post.
Magnum: Maybe because it's not MSNBC anymore. They switched to NBCNews now, so I want to believe that when you went to the page, they were doing the update.
That sounds reasonable, Thank you Justice
Magnum, I saw the story about MSNBC becoming NBCNews and clicked on the "comment" box at the end of it, intending to say that I hoped that new "management" would lead to better writing, sans grammar mistakes, etc. Instead of going to "comments", I was brought to a totally unrelated news story about Mitt Romney. Tried several times with the same result.
Meteorologists are always stating that even if you hear thunder, you should always seek proper shelter.
Very true - if you can hear thunder, you can be struck by the lightning.
There are occasional "bolts from the blue" which involve a lightning strike from a blue sky, caused by lightning traveling miles sideways from a storm cloud. In these cases, there really is no warning - not much you can do to prepare. I don't think it is even possible for the electronic detection systems at amusement parks to predict these rare events.
The last place you ever hide from a storm in under a tree. As a last resort lay on the ground flat away from the trees and just get rained on.
You shouldn't lie down on the ground. You should crouch over into a ball with only your feet touching the ground. It has nothing to do with making yourself a smaller target, as other posters suggested. It's to minimize your contact with the ground, which is the inevitable destination of the lightning.
It's tragic,but the first place you're told to stay away from in a lighting storm is trees.
They both would have survived if they had just bent over and hugged their respective balls (soccer style) out in the middle of the field.
Hmm football player play in rain, snow, and ice, yet soccer players cant play in rain? Pitiful.
Morlack=dimwit
morlack
in Texas they stop football games because of the possibility of lightning.
they also limit for heat as it can and does kill you.
I never hear of a football player dying from snow.
besides you can't play soccer in pantyhose like you can in football.(PRO FOOTBALL)