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It is still "rainy season" in Southwest Florida, and school is back in session for Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties. Many county students participate in sports which require outdoor practices and games. The combination of "rainy season" and student outdoor sports and activities presents potential danger of injury or death as a result of lightning strikes.  

Following the death of 11-year-old Jesse Watlington, a Southwest Florida Christian Academy football player, in October, 2012, Lee County fast-tracked thousands of dollars for lightning alert systems in schools and parks. The new alert systems are more sensitive than the systems previously relied upon which included handheld lightning detectors with a six-mile range, combined with monitoring the skies with phone applications and watching the Doppler radar.

Installed between December 2012 and January 2013, the new Weather-Bug system sounds a siren when in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning is up to 10 miles away.  It may be cloudless above, but the Lee County School District guidelines forbid outside school activities until 30 minutes after the last detected lightning strike within a 10-mile radius.

Collier County School District installed Thor Guard, which detects atmospheric conditions conducive to lightning, in 2007-2008., and the Charlotte County School District also installed a lightning alert system, similar to the one used in Lee County, this summer.  Both Collier and Charlotte counties require teachers, administration and coaches to heed the sirens.

As the "lightning capital" of the U.S. with twice as many lightning fatalities than any other state between 2003 and 20012, (Source: NOAA-National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration), early lightning warning systems are essential.

According to Collier County EMS Chief, Walter Kopka, "Probably the biggest misconception is people think when the storm is overhead, that’s when most victims get hit by lightning, and for the most part that’s not true. The lightning strike victims actually peak before the actual storm comes and after the storm leaves.”

Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. said, "Schools are legally responsible for the safety of their students.  Whether thunder is heard or lightning is seen, when a lightning alert siren goes off, coaches, teachers and administrators must get everyone undercover." 

Child Injury Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.