Lightning kills roofer in Madison County: How to stay safe during a storm

Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch
Updated ·4 min read
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Lightning struck three roofers apparently taking shelter under a tree during a storm Monday afternoon in the Town of Lincoln in Madison County, killing one of them, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

Ronaldo Zhunaula, 25, and Wilfrido Zhingre, 35, suffered minor injuries in the strike about 2:28 p.m. at 6904 Forbes Road.

Lauro Zhunaula Saca, 39, of Middletown, Ronaldo's brother, was unconscious and not breathing, according to the person who called 911, deputies said.

Deputies were able to revive him at the scene, and all three men were taken to Oneida Health Hospital with two of the victims being treated and released, according to a release from the county.

Saca was transferred to the St. Elizabeth Campus of the Mohawk Valley Health System where he later died from his injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.

All three of the men, who are of Ecuadorian descent, were employed by the company The Roofing Guys.

If you can hear thunder while you're outside, you're at risk for a lightning strike.
If you can hear thunder while you're outside, you're at risk for a lightning strike.

At least two more roofers were killed in lightning strikes in the United States this year, among the six victims between the beginning of the year and June 21, according to the National Weather Service. The other victims were driving, boating, riding a horse and, in the case of a 34-year-old man and a six-year-old boy, walking home from a bus when they were killed.

In the Lincoln strike, the three men were sitting under a tree waiting for a thunderstorm to pass so they could get back to work when lightning struck a nearby flagpole, according to a preliminary sheriff’s office investigation.

Madison County Emergency Medical Services, GLAS Ambulance, Vineall Ambulance, the Lincoln Fire Department and the New York State Police all assisted at the scene.

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The sheriff’s office has reminded people that it is best to shelter in an enclosed building or hard-top vehicle during a thunderstorm and to avoid trees, open spaces, isolated objects, high ground, metallic objects and bodies of water.

Here’s more information on lightning strikes and staying safe from the National Weather Service:

How many people in the United States are killed by lightning?

An average of 23 a year over the past 10 years, according to preliminary data, although the average goes up to 43 annual deaths between 1989 and 2018. About 10 percent of those who are struck by lightning die.

What are people most likely to be doing when they’re killed?

Of the 418 people killed in the United States by lightning between 2006 and 2019, here are the most frequent activities before death:

  • Fishing: 40

  • On the beach: 25

  • Camping: 21

  • Farming/ranching: 20

  • Riding a bike/motorcycle/ATV: 19

  • Boating: 18

  • At a social gathering: 16

  • Walking to/from home: 16

  • Roofing work: 15

  • Construction: 13

  • Soccer: 12

  • Yardwork: 12

  • People were also killed while lowering the window blinds, talking on a corded phone, getting off an airplane and living outside due to homelessness.

What are the odds of being struck, but not necessarily killed, by lightning?

The lifetime odds were, between 2009 and 2018, one in 15,300 with the odds in any given year at one in 1,222,000.

What should I do if I’m outside during a thunderstorm?

  • If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike and no place outdoors is safe.

  • Go inside a structure with plumbing and/or electricity or get in a enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows up.

  • Don’t come out of shelter until at least 30 minutes after you hear the last thunder.

If you cannot go inside:

  • Avoid open areas, tall or isolated trees, the tallest object in the area, ponds and other bodies of water, and objects that can conduct electricity such as barbed wire fences, power lines and windmills.

  • Get off elevated areas such as hills or mountain ridges.

  • Don’t shelter under a cliff or rocky overhang.

  • Don’t lie flat on the ground.

  • Don't be the tallest thing in an area.

  • In the woods, keep as much distance as possible between you and the trees.

  • If you’re in a group, spread out so that if some get hit, others will be able to come to their aid.

What should I do if I’m inside during a thunderstorm?

  • Don’t use corded phones, computers or any electrical equipment that requires direct contact.

  • Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.

  • Stay away from windows and doors; stay off porches.

  • Don’t lie on concrete floors or lean on concrete walls.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Lightning strikes three, kills one roofer in Madison County