Stay safe during lightning storms

  • Published
  • By Michael Wolcott
  • 377th Air Base Wing Safety
KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. --  While lightning can be fascinating to watch, it is also extremely dangerous. In the United States, 54 people are reported killed each year by lightning, on average. According to the National Weather Service, there have been 18 lightning-related deaths in 2012.

Although lightning strikes can happen year-round, summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather events.

Lightning is an electrical discharge between clouds or between clouds and the ground. The discharge may take place between two parts of the same cloud, between two clouds, or between a cloud and the ground. Thunder is the sound waves produced by the explosive heating of the air and the lightning channel during the return. Here are some specifics:

· Most lightning strikes occur at either the beginning or the end of a storm
· Average lightning strike is six miles long
· Lightning reaches 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, four times hotter than the sun's surface
· Voltage in a cloud-to-ground strike is 100 million to one billion volts

According to the National Weather Service, 1,800 thunderstorms are in progress somewhere on earth at any given moment, amounting to 16 million storms a year. In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year.

Hundreds of people are permanently injured by lightning each year. People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, chronic pain, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression and more.

Lightning usually claims only one or two victims at a time, and because it doesn't typically cause mass destruction, such as tornadoes or hurricanes, lightning generally receives much less attention than the more destructive storms. Due to under-reporting, it is estimated that about 100 to 120 deaths per year occur because of lightning.

Documented lightning injuries in the United States average 300 per year; however, undocumented lightning injuries are likely much higher.

Someone who is struck by lightning may need immediate medical attention. After the strike, lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and are safe to touch. Call 911 and monitor the victim. Start CPR or use an automated external defibrillator if needed.

When a thunderstorm is in your area, there is no safe place outside. If you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm. Too many people wait far too long to get to a safe place when thunderstorms approach. Unfortunately, these delayed actions lead to many of the lightning deaths and injuries in the U.S.

A safe shelter from lightning is either a substantial building or an enclosed metal vehicle. A safe building is one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, and has plumbing or wiring. Examples include a home, school, church, hotel, office building or shopping center. Once inside, stay away from showers, sinks, bathtubs and electronic equipment, such as stoves, radios, corded telephones and computers.

Unsafe buildings include carports, open garages, covered patios, picnic shelters, beach pavilions, golf shelters, tents of any kinds, baseball dugouts, sheds and greenhouses.

A safe vehicle is any fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle, such as a hard-topped car, minivan, bus, truck, etc. While inside a safe vehicle, do not use electronic devices such as radio communications during a thunderstorm. If you drive into a thunderstorm, slow down and use extra caution. If possible, pull off the road into a safe area. Do not leave the vehicle during a thunderstorm.

Unsafe vehicles include golf carts, convertibles, motorcycles or any open cab vehicle.

The best way to protect yourself from lightning is to avoid the threat. You simply don't want to be caught outside in a storm. Have a lightning safety plan, and cancel or postpone activities early if thunderstorms are expected. Monitor weather conditions and get to a safe place before the weather becomes threatening.