Tornado Death via Power Surge?

[rdale]

Anybody have more info on this report out of JAX?

0945 AM TORNADO 1 ENE LAKE CITY 30.20N 82.62W
03/07/2008 F2 COLUMBIA FL NWS STORM SURVEY

*** 2 FATAL *** ONE DIRECT FATALITY WAS DUE TO TREE DOWN
ON MOBILE HOME. FEMALE FATALITY WAS IN MOBILE HOME AT 649
NE GIBBS TERRACE. ONE INDIRECT FATALITY WAS DUE TO A
POWER SURGE BUT DETAILS OF LOCATION OF EVENT ARE UNKNOWN
AT THIS TIME.

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

What I heard on the news locally was that the man was trying to hook a generator to his house after losing power when he somehow got zapped, killing him.

 

[cdcollura]

Sometimes, a power surge can indeed kill.

A power pole can fall and the top wires (energized at 13,800 or 14,400 volts) can touch the lower wires (220 V lines) and send this high voltage surge into your home.

Anyone using an appliance would be at risk, even doing something as simple as grabbing a piece of bread from a toaster (certainly the wrong place at the wrong time as 13,800 volts surges through the house)!

A cable into your television or phone line also can suffer the same risks!

This is why one should stay AWAY from wired phones / electronics / appliances during ANY storms.