MARGATE, Fla. — A Florida mother and her 2-year-old daughter have died after being struck by lightning in Margate, according to the Margate Police Department. Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her child were discovered on a sidewalk around 2:30 p.m. on August 23. Both victims were transported to separate hospitals where they were pronounced dead.
Police Response and Investigation
The Margate Police Department confirmed the details of the tragic incident in an official statement released following the event. Authorities expressed their "deepest condolences to the victims' family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time." The department noted that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lightning strike is currently ongoing.
Weather Context and Regional Impact
The National Weather Service office in Miami had issued a Special Weather Statement for the area on the afternoon of the incident, highlighting active severe weather conditions. In a separate but related event nearby, paramedics responded to a 911 call regarding another lightning strike near Boynton Beach. A child was transported to a trauma center following that incident.
National Lightning Statistics
This tragedy marks the second fatal lightning strike in Florida for 2026. According to data from the National Weather Service, there have been nine fatal lightning strikes nationwide this year prior to these recent incidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 37 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year, as this newspaper reported in Florida Plans Historic Double Execution for Murder of Young Girl.
While the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, data indicates that almost 90% of all lightning strike victims survive. Margate is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County. This report covers breaking news from South Florida as documented by local law enforcement and federal weather agencies.
