Lightning in Polk County, Florida

A thunderstorm moved into the area as a high school football game was being played. People saught shelter under tents, and one tent was struck by lightning. Nine people were injured from the strike, with three of them being hospitalized. One of the men hospitalized was unconscious from the strike, and another 9-year-old boy was hospitalized from burns on his hands.

Drier air was in place across the area in the wake of Hurricane Irene. A few thunderstorms re-developed over the same area across inland regions in the afternoon and resulted in some lightning strike injuries at an area high school football game and localized flooding.