Northern Colorado Rancher, 34 Cattle Killed by Lightning Strike

Lightning is hands down one of the most dangerous elements of a storm. Not only in Colorado but anywhere on Earth. You never know when lightning will strike and where it hit. According to Weather.gov, an estimated 20 people per year are killed due to lighting.

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This past weekend, one rancher and 34 cattle were killed by a lightning strike in Northern Colorado. According to 9 News, Mike Morgan was feeding cattle from a trailer when he was struck outside the town of Rand in Jackson County, Colorado. The lightning bolt that killed Mike Morgan also bowled over approximately 100 head of cattle and 34 died due to the lightning strike. Despite life-saving efforts, Morgan died on the scene.

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Lightning Safety in Colorado

There is an old saying when it comes to lightning safety... When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors. There is a way to minimize your risk of being struck by lighting and that is to plan ahead to get to a safe spot quickly if a thunderstorm is in the sky. Once you hear thunder, you should go inside or find a safe place to ride out the thunderstorm. The highest risk of being struck by lightning is when a thunderstorm is approaching or leaving an area according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Odds of Being Struck by Lightning

The odds of winning the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots is one in 292 million. Your odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are much better at one in 1.222 million. Over the course of your lifetime, those odds dramatically increase to one in 15,300. An estimated 243 people are injured annually by lightning and the odds that you will know someone that is injured or killed by lightning is one in 1,500. With those odds in mind, stay safe when it comes to lightning in Colorado. For more information on how to stay safe from lightning in a thunderstorm, visit weather.gov.

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