The Earth is struck by more than 100 lightning bolts every second. From 2003 to 2012, nearly 350 people died from being struck by lightning in the United States. Many that do survive suffer from serious long-term effects. What you do during a lightning strike can make all the difference in the outcome, helping you to survive and potentially suffer only minor injuries. In the US, you have a 1 in 3,000 chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime. Knowing what to do if it happens can save your life.
Here is What You Should Know:
1. Don't lie down: If you lie down, an electrical current passing through the ground from a nearby lightning strike can pass right through your body.
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2. Crouch low: Crouch low so you're not the tallest object around, and at the same time keep your feet close together with your heels touching. This will help the electricity to go in one foot and out the other. Crouch as low to the ground as you can.
3. Crouch on the balls of your feet: This way, a minimal surface of your body is touching the ground and, if a lightning strike does come through you off the ground, the current will most likely travel up one leg and down the other, missing vital organs like your heart.
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4. Cover your ears: Placing your hands over your ears can help minimize hearing loss from the forthcoming (loud) thunder boom.
5. Beware of hair standing on end or skin tingling: These are signs that a lightning strike is imminent. Get into the crouching position immediately if you feel them (but be aware that lightning may strike without these warnings).
According to an analysis by the National Weather Service, in many lightning-strike deaths, the victims were either headed to safety, or just steps away from safety, when the fatal strike occurred. The lesson here is that if you think a storm is approaching, don't wait to seek shelter!
Many wait far too long, believing the storm is too far away to be a threat. As reported by National Geographic:
"Most people do not realize that they can be struck by lightning even when the center of a thunderstorm is 10 miles (16 kilometers) away and there are blue skies overhead… If you can hear thunder, you are within 10 miles of a storm—and can be struck by lightning. Seek shelter and avoid situations in which you may be vulnerable."
Generally speaking, if you know a storm is approaching, don't risk it. Seek shelter immediately. You can also use the 30-30 rule when deciding if you need to take cover. When you see lightning, begin counting until you hear thunder. If the time is 30 seconds or less, it means the storm is within six miles and you should move to safety immediately. Even after the sun comes out, you should wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before heading back outside.
If You Can Make It to Your Car, Go There:
You are are safer inside of your car during a lightning strike. It is not actually the rubber tires that protect you, as often believed, it's the effect of the car itself, conducting the current around you. Do not have your body in contact with any metal inside of your car.
Where To Avoid During a Thunderstorm:
1. Resist the temptation to hide under a tree. Trees are perfect targets for lightning and one of the worst places to seek shelter. If you're near one, the lightning can jump over to you and follow your body on its way to the ground.
2. Don't go near any body of water. Water is an efficient conductor of electricity and if you're swimming, you'll also be the highest object around.
3. Don't depend on wooden, vinyl, or metal sheds or structures to protect you, unless they're specifically designed to be lightning-safe, most are not. Small shelters common to picnic sites, parks, golf courses, and athletic fields will not typically protect you from lightning because they have no mechanism to conduct the electrical current to the ground, such as plumbing or wiring.
4. If you're indoors be aware that if lightning strikes, it can travel through pipes, electrical wires and telephone wires. Avoid being near electrical devices, electrical appliances, plumbing, sinks, bathtubs, showers, toilets. Don't do laundry, wash dishes, or even wash your hands. Landline phone use is a leading cause of indoor lightning injuries.
Where Are You Most Likely to Be Struck by Lightning?
Contrary to popular belief, it's not on the golf course, although it is while you're engaged in leisure activities. According to a National Weather Service analysis, two-thirds of lightning deaths occur in people enjoying outdoor leisure activities. As you might suspect, the deaths spiked during the summer months of June, July, and August and on weekends, when people are most likely to be outdoors. Golf didn't even make the top 10 list of leisure activities associated with the most lightning deaths, golf was #12.
The top locations revealed by the analysis were:
1. Fishing
2. Camping
3. Boating
4. Soccer
5. Beach
6. Farming or ranching
7. Riding a bike, motorcycle, or ATV
8. Social gathering
9. Yard work
10. Walking to/from home
Be safe and enjoy the summer!
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