
Teen struck by lightning in Central Park after freak thunderstorm, suffered life-threatening injuries
A 16-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck by lightning in Central Park on Thursday afternoon, law enforcement sources tell The Post.
The horrifying incident happened shortly after 3:40 p.m. inside the park near Fifth Avenue and 100th Street, the sources said.
The teen, who has not been identified, was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center in serious condition, according to the sources.
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Storm clouds move in behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan Skyline in New York City on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the US every year – but the chances of an individual being struck is less than one in a million.
More than 90% of those who are struck survive, but 444 Americans were killed by lightning between 2006 and 2021, the agency said.

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