Latest news with #lightningstrike
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Millions Brace for Record Heat as Severe Storms Hit East Coast
Severe storms pummeled the East Coast on Thursday with torrential rain and damaging winds bringing down trees and power lines. In New York City, a 15-year-old boy is recovering after being struck by lightning while standing under a tree in Central Park. It comes as millions across the United States are bracing for dangerous heat and record high temperatures. NBC's Erin McLaughlin reports and Angie Lassman tracks the forecast for TODAY.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
AI camera helps firefighters quickly find, douse remote DougCo wildfire
This week, a lightning strike in a remote section of Douglas County wilderness could have led to disaster.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Teen speaks of shock after surviving lightning strike in New York's Central Park
A 15-year-old boy who was struck by lightning in New York City's Central Park has spoken out after the shocking ordeal. Yassin Khalifa was picnicking in the park with his friends Thursday afternoon when a thunderstorm rolled through, according to multiple local outlets who spoke with the teen. Khalifa recalled telling his friends to take cover under a tree, which he told Eyewitness News, 'in hindsight might not have been the best idea.' 'I lean up against the tree. Five seconds later, I am on the floor,' the teen told CBS News New York. Khalifa doesn't actually remember the moment he was struck by lightning, as he was knocked unconscious. He described being 'locked' in his body, which had sustained second-degree burns. "I can see, but I can't talk. I can't move. So I'm just kind of locked in my body for a second until I get into the ambulance and I feel everyone trying to shake me,' Khalifa said. Lightning strikes about 25 million times a year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. Roughly 20 people are killed and hundreds more are severely injured by lightning strikes annually around the country, the service says. Khalifa's mother, Khalida, told CBS News New York, "I was so scared to lose him because it was looking very, very bad.' His sister, Reem, said her brother was 'in a lot of pain.' Khalifa told Eyewitness News that he expects to make a full recovery. "Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because my spine was directly against the tree and no nerve damage happened,' he said. Khalifa's freak accident has given Reem some perspective. "We were beefing about, like, $10 this week, and that's why I've been annoyed at him, but that's something so simple. It means nothing in hindsight of everything,' she told CBS News New York of her brother. In true sibling fashion, Reem found a way to crack a joke now the worst was behind them. "I'm kind of mad, though, because his curls stayed intact and mine don't, and I haven't been electrocuted," she said. Khalifa's family is hopeful their boy can be released from the hospital this weekend.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Teen speaks of shock after surviving lightning strike in New York's Central Park
A 15-year-old boy who was struck by lightning in New York City 's Central Park has spoken out after the shocking ordeal. Yassin Khalifa was picnicking in the park with his friends Thursday afternoon when a thunderstorm rolled through, according to multiple local outlets who spoke with the teen. Khalifa recalled telling his friends to take cover under a tree, which he told Eyewitness News, 'in hindsight might not have been the best idea.' 'I lean up against the tree. Five seconds later, I am on the floor,' the teen told CBS News New York. Khalifa doesn't actually remember the moment he was struck by lightning, as he was knocked unconscious. He described being 'locked' in his body, which had sustained second-degree burns. "I can see, but I can't talk. I can't move. So I'm just kind of locked in my body for a second until I get into the ambulance and I feel everyone trying to shake me,' Khalifa said. Lightning strikes about 25 million times a year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. Roughly 20 people are killed and hundreds more are severely injured by lightning strikes annually around the country, the service says. Khalifa's mother, Khalida, told CBS News New York, "I was so scared to lose him because it was looking very, very bad.' His sister, Reem, said her brother was 'in a lot of pain.' Khalifa told Eyewitness News that he expects to make a full recovery. "Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because my spine was directly against the tree and no nerve damage happened,' he said. Khalifa's freak accident has given Reem some perspective. "We were beefing about, like, $10 this week, and that's why I've been annoyed at him, but that's something so simple. It means nothing in hindsight of everything,' she told CBS News New York of her brother. In true sibling fashion, Reem found a way to crack a joke now the worst was behind them. "I'm kind of mad, though, because his curls stayed intact and mine don't, and I haven't been electrocuted," she said. Khalifa's family is hopeful their boy can be released from the hospital this weekend.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Teen Survives Being Struck by Lightning in Central Park, but Admits One Decision He Made 'Wasn't the Best Idea'
A New York City teenager was struck by lightning in Central Park on June 19 Yassin Khalifa was enjoying a picnic with friends when the storm started, and he suggested they wait the rain out under a tree 'Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because my spine was directly against the tree and no nerve damage happened,' Khalifa saidA teenager is speaking out after surviving a lightning strike in New York City. Yassin Khalifa, a 15-year-old high school sophomore, was struck by lightning while spending time in Central Park on Thursday, June 19, according to WABC-TV New York and The New York Times. Though he fell unconscious for a few minutes, he only sustained second-degree burns and is expected to make a full recovery. After enjoying a picnic with his friends near the East Meadow, a severe thunderstorm set in, according to WABC. Khalifa told the outlet that he decided to ride out the storm under a tree, which he admitted "might not have been the best idea." The bolt of lightning struck the tree he was leaning on around 3:40 p.m., the New York Post reported, and Khalifa lost consciousness for a short time after the strike. By the time an ambulance arrived to take him to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, though, Khalifa was awake and alert. Additionally, Fox 5 New York reported that according to officials, the teen was also burned on impact as he was wearing a metal chain. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because my spine was directly against the tree and no nerve damage happened," Khalifa told WABC-TV. "So I'm pretty happy about that." In the case of lightning strikes, one in ten people die, The New York Times reported in 2017, though it remains one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States. The thunderstorm in Manhattan was part of a string of severe weather along the East Coast on June 19, affecting parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Read the original article on People
