Lightning Safety 101Lightning, with its bright flashes and loud roars, is a powerful force of nature that can be mesmerizing and terrifying all at the same time. While its beauty is magnificent, the destruction it can cause should never be underestimated. Each year, lightning causes deaths, injuries, and significant property damage around the world. In this article, we are going to discuss the importance of lightning safety and provide tips to help you stay safe during a storm especially if you are outdoors.
What is lighting? Lighting is a discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. It occurs when electrical imbalances within a storm cloud, or between a cloud and the ground are released (positive and negative charge connect). These discharges can be between clouds, within a cloud, or from a cloud to the ground. What are the different types of lightning? There are three different types of lightning which include cloud to ground lightning , cloud to cloud lightning, and intra-cloud lightning. What is the most dangerous type of lightning for humans? The most dangerous type is the cloud to ground lightning, which accounts for a significant number of injuries and fatalities. What kind of injuries could you suffer from being struck by lightning? The different injuries that you could suffer from are electrical injuries that affect the nervous system, heart and muscles, burns, neurological effects, hearing and vision problems, respiratory issues, musculoskeletal injuries, psychological trauma, or secondary injuries such as falls when struck. 8 Lightning Safety Tips: 1. Stay Informed: Before you head out, research and look up the weather conditions to keep an eye on the forecast. You can even set alerts on your phone for when severe weather pops up! 2. Seek Shelter: If a thunderstorm rolls in, head indoors to keep you safe. This will be your safest location from lightning. Please avoid open fields, high ground, and isolated trees or structures since that can make you more vulnerable to lightning strikes. 3. Lightning Safety for the Indoors: When you are indoors, stay away from water, plumbing, and electrical appliances during a storm. Lightning can travel through plumbing and electrical systems that could harm you if you are using them. Also, stay away from windows, doors, and porches which can be struck by lighting too. 4. Lightning Safety for the Outdoors: If you are outside when a storm rolls in, avoid open fields, tall objects, bodies of water, metal objects, picnic shelters, small structures, and trees. The best position to stay safe is to crouch down with your feet close together, minimizing contact with the ground. DO NOT LIE FLAT. 5. The 30-30 Rule: To estimate the storm's distance, count the seconds between a lightning flash and the thunder. Every 5 seconds represents 1 mile in distance. If the time is 30 seconds or less, seek shelter immediately. Wait 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder before resuming outdoor activities. 6. Lightning Safety for Water Activities: Refrain from swimming, boating, or engaging in water activities during thunderstorms. Bodies of water are dangerous places during storms, as lighting can strike the water's surface and cause harm to individuals. If you are out swimming or boating, get to shore or a safe location as soon as possible when you hear thunder or see lightning strike an area. 7. Lightning Safety for Sports and Recreation: Refrain from outdoor sports and recreation during thunderstorms. If you are caught outside when you are participating in a sport, go to your emergency shelter immediately and follow the 30-30 rule before resuming activities. If you do not have an emergency shelter near by, follow the lightning safety tips for outdoors. 8. Safety in Vehicles: If you are driving during a thunderstorm, stay in your vehicle. The metal frame offers protection from the lightning. Avoid parking under trees or tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. By understanding how lightning works, what types of lightning occurs, and how to stay safe during thunderstorms, will help reduce the amount of fatalities, injuries, and accidents caused by lightning. Remember when thunder roars, go indoors! I hope these tips help you out the next time you go outside to hike, camp, backpack, kayak, stand up paddle board, etc.
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