Lightning Strike Claims Lives of Mother and Toddler in Margate
A woman and her two-year-old daughter died after being struck by lightning in Margate, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, according to multiple reports. The victims were identified as Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her daughter Kennedi, who were found on a sidewalk in the 7900 block of Northwest 1st Street around 2:30 p.m., the Margate Police Department reported.
Police and fire rescue personnel responded to a 911 call and performed CPR on both victims at the scene before transporting them to separate hospitals. Kenya was taken to North Broward Medical Center in Deerfield Beach, while her daughter was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. A police escort accompanied the ambulance carrying the child. Both were pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The Margate Police Department expressed its "deepest condolences to the victims' family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," and said the incident remains under investigation.
Father Describes Harrowing Moments
Kameron Glasgow, Kenya's husband and the father of the twins, told local news outlet WPLG that the family was taking their twin daughters to his aunt's house for a family dinner when the storm struck. The family had just arrived and was about to head inside as rain began to pick up.
"We saw that the rain was picking up and we just said, 'Hey, we got to get the girls inside,'" Glasgow recounted. As they moved toward the house, lightning struck the lawn. Glasgow said he felt the electric current travel through the ground and hit him.
"By the grace of God, I'm still here," he said, but his wife and daughter could not be saved.
Glasgow described the moment as the "worst feeling in the world" and recalled seeing his wife and daughter lifeless. He is now left to care for his surviving twin daughter, Kensli, who was not injured.
In a social media tribute, Glasgow wrote: "I just lost my best friend. My daughter just lost her best friend." He added, "After I lost my father a few years ago I learned a very valuable lesson and that's to never question God. My babies didn't suffer."
Glasgow described Kenya, his high school sweetheart, as having "the biggest heart in the world" and always putting others before herself. He also spoke fondly of Kennedi's love for musician Benson Boone, noting she could sing his songs word for word.
Weather Conditions and Statistics
The National Weather Service office in Miami issued a Special Weather Statement for the area that afternoon. In a separate incident nearby, paramedics responded to a lightning strike in Boynton Beach that sent a child to a trauma center.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 37 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year. The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, and nearly 90% of lightning strike victims survive. The National Weather Service reports that lightning strikes the country around 25 million times annually, killing about 20 people.
The FOX Forecast Center said the thunderstorms were part of Florida's typical summer storm pattern. Florida is disproportionately affected by lightning, with 305 lightning events per square mile in 2025, according to metro.co.uk.
Statistical Context on Lightning Fatalities
Prior to this incident, there had been nine fatal lightning strikes nationwide in 2026, with two of those occurring in Florida, according to the National Weather Service. However, the National Lightning Safety Council reported that 12 people had been killed by lightning in 2026 as of Sunday. The discrepancy between these figures was not explained in the reports.
Footage from a neighbor, Prince Moody, described the storm as the "loudest lightning strike" he could hear, and he expressed sympathy for the family, saying, "Imagine the family that's actually going through this."
Margate, Florida, is located about 10 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale and is approximately a 50-minute drive north of Miami.