When it rains, it can pour—on men at least. Recent research indicates that men are more than twice as likely as women to die in thunderstorms. And men are most at risk during flash floods and when lightning strikes.
"It has to do with lifestyle," says Toni Falbo, Ph.D., an expert on gender relations and a psychology professor at the University of Austin in Texas. "Men are more likely to be outside--fishing or playing golf--which puts them more at risk for this kind of death."
Thomas Songer, Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh, examined deaths related to thunderstorms between 1994 and 2000. He found that of the 1,442 deaths related to thunderstorms, 70 percent were men.
Most victims of flash floods died when they tried to drive across a river, and most victims of lightning died while playing sports. The results were presented at a Center for Disease Control and Prevention meeting this April in Atlanta.
