Reuters falsely claims lightning deaths in DC are due to “climate change”

08/09/2022 / By Arsenio Toledo

Mainstream media outlet Reuters claims that the so-called climate change caused the deaths of three people in Washington, D.C. when they were struck by lightning.

On Thursday, Aug. 4, two men and two women were struck by lightning while visiting Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., just north of the White House. The bolt struck the ground near a tree just yards away from the fence surrounding the White House and offices across from the square. This area is often crowded with tourists, especially during the summer months.

All four victims sustained critical, life-threatening injuries and were immediately taken to area hospitals. Two of them died soon after the incident, and the next day the third of the four victims passed away.

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of life,” said the White House in a statement on Friday, Aug. 5, before the third victim passed away. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives.”

The first two victims who died were James Mueller, 76, and his wife Donna, 75, from Janesville, Wisconsin. They took a trip to the capital to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary.

The third victim was identified as 29-year-old Brooks Lambertson, the vice president of City National Bank in Los Angeles. “Brooks was an incredible young man who will be remembered for his generosity, kindness and unwavering positivity,” said the bank in a statement. “His sudden loss is devastating for all who knew him, and his family, friends and colleagues appreciate the thoughts and prayers that have poured in from around the country.”

Gloria Dickie, who wrote the article for Reuters, claimed that climate change is increasing the likelihood of fatal lightning strikes in the United States.

Dickie pointed out that for lightning to strike, heat and moisture are needed, which is why most lightning strikes occur during the summer, with the subtropical state of Florida receiving the most lightning strikes each year. (Related: Stop your propaganda! MSM says ‘Zoe’ becomes the world’s first named heat wave, but we already had Apocalypse 4800 in Italy and ‘Lucifer’ in 2021 across Europe.)

“The hot, humid conditions in Washington, D.C. on Thursday were primed for electricity,” she wrote. “Air temperatures topped out at 94 degrees Fahrenheit – or 5 F higher than the 30-year normal maximum temperature for Aug. 4, according to the National Weather Service.”

“More heat can draw more moisture into the atmosphere, while also encouraging rapid updraft – two key factors for charged particles, which lead to lightning,” she added.

She further claimed that for each one degree Celsius (1.8 F) of global warming, the number of lightning strikes will increase by 12 percent.

Reuters claim about lightning strikes not supported by any evidence

What Reuters and Dickie failed to take into consideration is the fact that the number of fatal lightning strikes in the United States has been declining for the past century.

Chris Enloe, writing for the Blaze, pointed out that Dickie did not cite any actual scientists to support her claim regarding lightning strikes and climate change.

“Scientists believe that lightning has existed for billions of years at least,” he wrote. “One thus wonders how lightning is connected to climate change if it has always existed on Earth, or how the frequency of lightning can be evidence of climate change when lightning has not been tracked for most of Earth’s history.”

Furthermore, Dickie herself pointed out that being hit by lightning is still a very extremely rare occurrence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 40 million lightning bolts touch down in the United States every year. The odds of being struck by one are less than one in a million.

Dying from getting struck by lightning is even rarer. Between 2006 and 2021, only about 10 percent of those struck by lightning died.

Learn more about the climate change hoax at ClimateAlarmism.news.

Watch this interview of Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, on InfoWars as he and Alex Jones talk about how President Joe Biden’s “climate emergency” declaration will crush America.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.