Hiker Struck by Lightning Near Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

A man from Norfolk, VA was hospitalized on Wednesday after being struck by lightning while hiking Sharp Top, a mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Bedford, VA. Units from the Bedford Fire Department responded to the scene 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, hiking in with medical supplies and a wheeled litter to evacuate the hiker.

“Crews made contact with the patient who was alert and conscious but had complaints of pain, weakness, and tingling in his extremities,” reads a news release from the Bedford Fire Department. Fire officials did not identify the hiker but said he was transported to a local hospital with “non-life-threatening” injuries.

Sharp Top, along with nearby mountains Flat Top and Harkening Hill, is one of the Peaks of Otter, three iconic summits near Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountain’s 3,875-foot summit is reached via a 1.5-mile trail from mile 86 on the Parkway. The summit is not part of the Appalachian Trail, but it can be viewed from the AT at northbound mile 750 where the trail intersects with a scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Lightning strikes kill about 20 people in the United States annually, according to the National Weather Service. Hundreds more are struck and injured each year. Roughly 80% of lightning strike victims survive the initial shock, though some suffer long-term neurological damage.

Afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence in the summer months, especially in mountainous regions like the Blue Ridge Mountains. The best way for a hiker to minimize their lightning risk is to check the forecast before hitting the trail and avoid hiking during times when thunderstorms are likely to occur. For hikers caught outside during thunderstorms, their best recourse is to seek shelter immediately. However, if that is not practical, they should take the following steps according to the American Hiking Society:

• Shelter in a valley or depression—avoid isolated tall objects
• Move 100 feet away from other hikers and any metal objects (including metal pack frames, trekking poles, etc.)
• Assume the lightning position by crouching on the balls of your feet with your head down and ears covered

Lightning Safety Resources

• American Hiking Society: Lightning Safety
• National Lightning Safety Institute: Lightning Safety for Campers and Hikers
• Blue Ridge Parkway: Thunderstorm Safety
• National Weather Service: Lightning Safety Tips and Resources

Featured image: Sharp Top, 2013. Photo by Jim Lukach.