Lightning Strike Injures 5 in Sint Maarten amid inclement weather

Sint Maarten: Five persons including tourists were severely struck by lightning in Sint Maarten on Wednesday afternoon.  

The Sint Maarten Police Force reported that the local ambulance services responded to an emergency call at around 1:15 pm yesterday, following reports of several injuries resulting from a lightning strike.  

The incident took place on the Philipsburg Boardwalk and injured three severely while two others sustained minor injuries.  

As per the reports, upon arrival, the first responders found that five persons including tourists had been struck by lightning during the severe weather conditions on the island. The individuals were immediately provided medical attention at the scene.  

It is said that the three of the injured victims were reported to have sustained serious injuries and were immediately rushed to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. Meanwhile, the other two sustained only minor injuries and did not require to be hospitalised and were treated there upon.  

Following the incident the police officials have urged the general public to exercise extreme caution during this period of inclement weather, especially when lightning activity is significant. They asked the people to seek shelter indoors and avoid open spaces to minimise the risk of lightning strikes.  

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the injured and their families during this challenging time. We will continue to monitor their conditions and provide the necessary support,” outlined the Sint Maarten Police Force.  

In addition to this, the officials also released several guidelines to be kept in mind during major lightning. These include: 

• If one hears thunder, it means that lightning is close enough to hit you 
• When one hears thunder, they must immediately go to a safe space indoors, a building or an eclosed area or metal topped vehicle with windows up 
• The individuals are asked to stay inside the shelters for at least 30 minutes after they hear the thunderstorm 
• When inside, people must stay off corded phone, computers or any other electronical device which puts them in direct contact with electricity 
• People must also avoid plumbing including baths, sinks and faucets 
• They must not lie on concrete floors and must not lean against concrete walls 

Also, the Meteorological Department of St Maarten has also noted that such weather conditions are expected to continue in the country for a few days. 

There will be cloudy skies with periodic showers as well as thunderstorms that will continue till August 3, 2024. The Met Office said that this is because a tropical wave is moving across the local area.  

The Office added that some of the showers could be heavy at times, therefore, road users are advised to be vigilant because of the possible street flooding and rockslides.  

Moreover, light concentrations of Saharan dust will prevail, and the sea will be slight to moderate up to six feet through the next few days. The Met Office also asked the small craft operators and swimmers to exercise caution.