Lightning Safety
Don't Be a Victim
Learn how to avoid getting struck by lightning and how to help victims of lightning strikes.
Introduction
In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year. Lightning can be fascinating to watch, but it is also extremely dangerous. Florida has more lightning-related deaths and injuries than any other state.
Because lightning strikes usually claim only one or two victims at a time and don’t cause mass destruction like tornadoes and hurricanes, lightning generally receives less attention than it should. Although documented lightning injuries in the United States average about three hundred per year, undocumented injuries caused by lightning are likely much higher.
Lightning is a dangerous threat to people in the United States, particularly those outside in the summer. With common sense, we can greatly reduce the number of lightning deaths.
Avoid Getting Struck by Lightning
Use these tips to avoid getting hit by lightning.
Watch for Developing Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms are most likely to develop on warm summer days and go through various stages. Towering cumulus may be one of the first indications of a developing thunderstorm.
Don't Be a Part of Lightning Discharge
In addition to the visible lightning flash that travels through the air, a electrical current travels along the ground. Although some victims are struck directly by the main lightning strike, many victims are actually struck by the current instead. Be aware of this risk as thunderstorms approach.
Seek Safe Shelter
If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and should seek safe shelter immediately! Lightning can strike as far as ten miles away, approximately the distance at which you can hear thunder. When a storm is ten miles away, it may even be difficult to tell a storm is coming. The first stroke of lightning is just as deadly as the last. If the sky looks threatening, take shelter before hearing thunder.
A safe building is one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls, and floor, such as a home, school, office building, or shopping center. Even inside, you should still take precautions. Picnic shelters, dugouts, sheds, and other partially open or small structures are not safe.
A safe vehicle is a hard-topped car, SUV, minivan, bus, tractor, etc. Soft-topped convertibles are not safe. If you seek shelter in your vehicle, make sure that all doors are closed and all windows are rolled up. Do not touch any metal surfaces.
If you're driving when a thunderstorm starts, pull off the roadway. A bright lightning flash or a strike hitting the vehicle could startle you and cause temporary blindness, especially at night.
Follow the 30-30 Rule
The threat of lightning continues for a much longer period than most people realize. When visibility is good and nothing obstructs your view of the thunderstorm, use the 30-30 rule. When you see lightning, count how many seconds pass before you hear thunder. If the elapsed time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is within six miles of you and is dangerous. Seek shelter immediately. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before leaving shelter. Don't be fooled by sunshine or blue sky!
If the sky is cloudy, or objects are obscuring your vision, get inside immediately anyway. It is always safer to take precautions than to wait.
Be Safe Inside, Too
Stay away from windows and doors and avoid contact with anything that conducts electricity. In general, basements are a safe place to go during thunderstorms, but avoid contact with concrete walls, which may contain metal reinforcing bars. Avoid washers and dryers; they not only have contacts with the plumbing and electrical systems of the house, but also contain an electrical path to the outside through the dryer vent.
Helping a Lightning Strike Victim
Medical care may be needed immediately to save the life of a lightning strike victim. Cardiac arrest and irregularities, burns, and nerve damage are common results of being struck by lightning. Fortunately, with proper treatment--including CPR if necessary--most lightning strike victims survive, although the long-term effects on their lives and the lives of family members can be devastating.
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