A teacher at Dorothy C. York PreK-8 Innovation Academy in Apollo Beach felt an electrical shock from a nearby lightning strike during dismissal Sept. 9.

Hillsborough County Public Schools confirmed the teacher was holding an umbrella when the bolt hit near the front of the campus on Covington Garden Drive just after 3 p.m. The teacher was not struck directly but described feeling a shock. District officials said the teacher is expected to return to work.

Staff immediately paused dismissal and moved students and staff inside the building. They sheltered for about 25 minutes until the weather passed, according to Tampa Bay 28.

The weather shifted fast.

District officials said dismissal began the afternoon of Sept. 9 with no rain or visible signs of severe weather. About 10 minutes in, a light drizzle started and students were kept under a covered area. The lightning strike was the first sign of a storm.

Fox 13 identified the teacher as a music teacher and reported that its meteorologists found thunderstorms had already developed a few miles north of Apollo Beach around the time pickup began. Parents told Fox 13 that dismissal at York typically starts around 2:45 p.m. Within minutes, storms built directly over the school's location.

District officials said every campus maintains rainy-day safety procedures tailored to its layout. Under district guidelines, dismissal is paused whenever severe weather threatens the area.

Florida averages 1.4 million lightning strikes per year, according to Hillsborough County's Severe Weather Awareness resources. At least 98 people have died from lightning strikes in the state since 2006, according to National Weather Service data reported by WUSF. More than half of lightning-related injuries and fatalities happen during outdoor activities.

The National Weather Service recommends waiting 30 minutes after the last lightning flash or thunder before resuming outdoor activities.