MARGATE, FLORIDA — A South Florida family has been left devastated after a mother and her 2-year-old daughter were struck by lightning while trying to reach their home during a powerful afternoon thunderstorm.

Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her daughter Kennedy Rose were outside their Margate home on Sunday, August 23, when lightning struck them shortly after 2:30 p.m.

The tragedy happened in a matter of seconds, leaving Kenya’s husband and their surviving young daughter facing an unimaginable loss.

A Family Was Trying to Get Inside
According to Kenya’s husband, Kameron Glasgow, the family had been preparing to go inside as the rain intensified.

They had reportedly just arrived home and were trying to get the children from the vehicle into the house.

Kameron said the family recognized that the weather was worsening and decided it was time to get everyone indoors.

Then the lightning struck.

A neighbor, Prince Moody, was inside his home across the street when he heard what he described as an enormous thunderclap.

He saw an orange glow through his window.

Moments later, his son alerted him that a woman appeared to have been struck.

Moody rushed outside to help.

Neighbor Finds Mother and Child on the Ground
Moody said he saw Kenya lying on the ground and then realized that her toddler daughter was only a few feet away.

He immediately called 911 and tried to assist the family.

Margate police and fire-rescue crews arrived shortly afterward.

First responders began performing CPR and other emergency measures on both victims.

Kenya was transported to North Broward Medical Center in Deerfield Beach.

Kennedy was taken under police escort to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Despite the efforts of first responders and medical personnel, both mother and daughter were pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospitals.

Her Husband’s Heartbreaking Tribute
Kameron Glasgow is now facing the devastating reality of losing both his wife and one of his young daughters in the same instant.

He described Kenya as a woman with an enormous heart who consistently put other people before herself.

He also remembered Kennedy as an energetic little girl who loved music and could sing along to songs by Benson Boone.

But perhaps the most painful part of the loss is what it means for Kennedy’s identical twin sister.

The surviving twin will now grow up without her sister.

Kameron said he knows there will eventually be difficult questions about why her mother and twin sister are no longer there.

For him, the family tragedy is almost impossible to put into words.

The Family Was Only Steps From Safety
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the incident is how close the family was to their home.

The mother and daughter appeared to have just gotten out of their vehicle when the lightning strike occurred.

They were not intentionally standing outside during an extended period of severe weather.

They were attempting to get indoors.

That detail has underscored how quickly thunderstorms can become dangerous, even during an ordinary trip from a driveway to a front door.

Florida’s Lightning Risk
Florida experiences frequent thunderstorms and has long been one of the U.S. states most affected by lightning.

According to FOX Weather, the National Lightning Safety Council reported 12 lightning-related deaths nationwide in 2026 at the time of its report.

Lightning can also strike several miles away from the thunderstorm producing it, meaning people do not necessarily need to be directly underneath the heaviest part of a storm to be at risk.

Federal health guidance emphasizes that people should seek shelter as soon as they hear thunder.

Waiting until lightning becomes visible can be dangerous because a strike can occur before a storm appears directly overhead.

Another Family Remembers a Similar Loss
The Glasgow family’s tragedy has also brought renewed attention to other lightning fatalities in Florida.

CBS Miami spoke with Lealani Day, whose 16-year-old son Cameron was struck by lightning two years earlier.

She said she never imagined that someone in her own family could lose their life in such a rare event.

Her experience has given her a painful understanding of what the Glasgow family is now facing.

Police Continue to Investigate
The Margate Police Department has not announced evidence suggesting that anything other than the lightning strike caused the deaths.

The incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not released additional details beyond the circumstances surrounding the emergency response.

For the family, however, the investigation is only one small part of what comes next.

They now have to begin planning for the loss of a wife, mother and young daughter while caring for the surviving twin.

A Family Changed in Seconds
Kenya was only 31.

Kennedy was only 2.

One moment, they were part of a family trying to escape an approaching storm and get inside their home.

Moments later, Kameron Glasgow was mourning both of them.

The family’s surviving daughter will now grow up carrying the memory of an identical twin she was born alongside.

And Kameron will have to navigate life without the woman he described as his best friend and the mother of his children.

A routine dash from a car to a front door became a devastating tragedy in a matter of seconds — a stark reminder of how quickly Florida’s summer storms can turn deadly.

Latest Update — August 26, 2026
Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her 2-year-old daughter Kennedy Rose were struck by lightning in Margate, Florida, on August 23.
The strike occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. as the family was getting out of their vehicle during a thunderstorm.
A neighbor called 911 and attempted to help.
Both victims received CPR and emergency treatment.
Kenya and Kennedy were transported to separate hospitals but were pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Kenya’s husband, Kameron Glasgow, and the surviving twin were nearby when the lightning struck.
The Margate Police Department investigation remains ongoing.
Officials have not announced any additional circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Sources: The Sun — original report, ABC News — Margate lightning strike, CBS Miami — family tribute and lightning safety information, FOX Weather — lightning statistics and safety information.