Following a lightning strike across the street from the White House, four people are in critical condition.
In a news conference on Thursday evening, Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said that the lightning strike occurred in Lafayette Park, which is located directly across the street from the White House.
According to Maggiolo, who was unable to provide more information about the incident or the victims’ conditions, “all four were suffering critical, life-threatening injuries” when assistance arrived.
Law enforcement officers say the victims were sheltering from the storm under a tree.
DC Fire and EMS report two men and two women were taken to local hospitals. Officials from the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division and the Park Police, according to Maggiolo, arrived on the scene right away to assist with the response.
A severe thunderstorm has hit the Washington, DC, area
After a day of sweltering heat, thunderstorms are passing through portions of the Washington, D.C., area.
There is a flash flood warning in effect for parts of the suburbs and Washington, D.C. For most of the day, a heat advisory was in place for the greater Washington, D.C., area. Mid-90s were the highs, but the humidity made it feel much hotter.
Friday’s high temperature will be a few degrees cooler at around 92, but be ready for more afternoon storms.
Take precautions.
