Why are there more deaths and injuries as a result of lightning in the United States since 1959?
I am not sure exactly what your questions are. If you are asking why more people are injured today than in the past, then one of the reasons is there are more people and more leisure time than ever before. When people play games outdoors, they have a tendency to try to “take one more turn” prior to the storm getting there, which is not a good philosophy. You can post warnings and try to educate people, but they have to make the decision to seek shelter. On the other hand, a lot of lightning injuries from early last century were to individuals who worked outdoors. For example, in the agriculture industry, an individual sitting atop a vehicle like a tractor or combine was exposed at the highest point making them the best available strike point and subject to the most danger. In farming today, along with construction and other heavy industries, many of these vehicles have enclosed metallic cabs surrounding the workmen acting to provide an alternative strike point and a positive level of p
