Lightning mortality rate in Colombia for the period1997 –2014

Abstract

In many countries, the natural phenomenon of lightning has been studied take into consideration climatic and physiographic conditions. The atmospheric discharges are responsible for the death of more than 6000 people per year around the world. Colombia is located in the intertropical convergence zone and it has a geography characterized by plains and long mountain ranges. These conditions locate Colombia in the region in the region with the highest lightning activity in the world increasing the number of deaths and injuries by this phenomenon, especially in rural zones. This paper presents a study of the total number of deaths and the mortality rate by lightnings for the period from 1997 to 2014. The information about deaths by lightning was taken from the statistics of the National Administrative Department of Statistics (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísticas – DANE). The results obtained are synthesized for the whole country and are discriminated by departments and natural sub-regions. In this way, the mortality rate obtained for Colombia was 1.51 deaths per million people per year. Likewise, Vichada was the department with the highest mortality rate (7.85), while Popayan plateau was the natural sub-region with the highest number of deaths per million people per year with 8.62.