Lightning Safety
by
RTS Staff
Aug 11 2009
Lightning facts and safety guidelines
National Lightning Safety Week in the United States was June 21st through 27th. Lightning is a concern to us here at Kwajalein as we move into our rainy season. This is the period during which we are most likely to experience thunderstorms that produce local lightning and thunder, and the distant lightning flashes we see at night. In this article, we will tell you things you should know about lightning and provide safety tips that may save your life during a thunderstorm.
First, let's talk safety. During a thunderstorm, you really want to get indoors. An enclosed structure, like a building or substantial house provides some protection. But just because you are inside doesn't mean you are safe from lightning's reach. If indoors, stay away from windows and plumbing fixtures. Avoid touching electronic equipment, including the telephone, as these things can be conductors of lightning. It is even risky to use a cordless phone.
Are you in danger if you are outdoors and see lightning? The answer is yes, if you can hear thunder. If you feel your hair stand up, it is another sign that you are in danger. Attraction between positive charge on your hair and the negatively charged particles in the lower part of a thunderstorm cloud causes your hair to rise. This is an indication that a lightning strike is about to occur. Then, the best thing to do is crouch down on the balls of your feet, put your hands over your ears, and bend your head down. Make yourself as small a target as possible and minimize your contact with the ground. Do not lie flat on the ground.
You don't need to be in the middle of a downpour to be struck by lightning as it can originate from a storm cloud as far as 5 to 10 miles away. The distance between you and a thunderstorm can be determined by counting the seconds between when you see a lightning flash, and when you hear thunder. Every five seconds is equal to one mile of distance between you and the thunderstorm. If the time between the flash and thunder is less than thirty seconds, you should move immediately to the safety of a building. If that is not possible, an automobile may provide some protection if the windows are rolled up and you do not touch any of the car's metal parts. Once inside, you should stay put until at least thirty minutes after the last thunder clap is heard; the 30/30 rule.
Here are some things to remember if a building or automobile is not available for shelter. Generally, lightning will strike the tallest object in the area and this might be you! If a thunderstorm is near, avoid standing in open areas such as the beach, park, swimming pool, or golf course. Avoid standing by tall isolated structures like towers or trees. Open structures such as car ports, beach huts, and the deck of a boat offer no protection from lightning. Many victims of lightning are not struck directly by a lightning discharge, but are hit as the lightning charge travels in or along the ground.
What should you do if you are caught in a thunderstorm while boating? Keep away from metal objects that are not grounded to the boat's protection system. Put on your life jacket! If you are struck, you may be rendered unconscious and fall overboard. Additionally, wind and seas may increase around the thunderstorm, making boating conditions unsafe. If possible, get below deck. The prudent mariner, seeing an approaching thunderstorm, heads home to port.
Now let's look at some interesting statistics. At Kwajalein, rain showers occur throughout the year, but our rainy season generally lasts from mid-May through mid-December, the months during which we observe most of our thunderstorms. We experience 10.3 thunderstorm days per year at Kwajalein (averaged over 56 years through 2008). A thunderstorm day may include observations of one or more thunderstorms during the particular day. During 2008 we recorded 13 thunderstorm days, slightly above our long-term average.
Around the globe, there are, on average, more than one hundred lightning strikes during every second, every day. Between 1959 and 2003, there were nearly four thousand people killed by lightning in the U.S. This figure does not reveal the thousands of other injuries caused by lightning, including severe burns, memory loss, even brain damage. On average, ten percent of lightning victims die. Seventy percent suffer serious long-term effects. Talking on the telephone is the number one cause of lightning injuries that occur inside the home. During your lifetime, the odds of becoming a victim of lightning in the United States are one in three thousand. Lightning can raise the air temperature by an astounding fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit, and can contain one hundred million volts of electricity. Lightning can and will strike the same person or place twice. Lightning may even appear to come from out of the blue. This is "positive lightning" which originates from an area of positive charge near the top of a thunderstorm. Positive lightning is particularly dangerous because it can strike as far as five to ten miles from the storm cloud. Imagine standing out under a clear blue sky and being struck by the terrible force of one of these lightning bolts.
Everyone has a role to play when lightning safety is considered. The Kwajalein Weather Station issues lightning warnings in support of USAKA aviation operations, RTS range activities, and for island residents. The Weather Station uses cutting-edge technology to provide these warnings. Data from our dual-polarized Doppler weather radar are automatically evaluated in real-time to warn of any potential lightning threats. Audible alarms from this system immediately alert the meteorologist on duty if a threat is developing. Additionally, an Atoll-wide lightning detection system reports the location of any cloud-to-surface lightning strikes that actually occur within the Atoll area. Depending upon location of a thunderstorm, a lightning warning may be issued for an island or recreational boating area. Warnings are scrolled on the TV weather channel, as well as warning cancellations. Coaches, life guards, police, teachers, and parents should all be especially vigilant to guard their charges when lightning warnings are issued and thunderstorms are near.
Remember, if caught in a thunderstorm, head indoors. If you are unable to get into a building, try a vehicle with metal roof, but avoid contact with any metal inside. Otherwise, avoid open fields, tall trees and towers, fences, swimming pools, salt water, open boats, and electrical equipment. Use the 30/30 rule, stay low and safe.
The sources for information provided in this article are the websites of the National Lightning Safety Institute, National Weather Service, University of Oklahoma, and the National Geographic News.