How To Avoid A Lightning Strike?
Overview
Undoubtedly, the percentage of exposure to a lightning strike is very small compared to other risks, it is less than one in a million, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, recently recorded cases have made it clear that this can happen.
In the United States, a Lightning strike kills a Florida mother as she waits for her child to get out of school.
In early August, a lightning strike killed three people who were sheltering under a tree near the White House.
According to the National Meteorological Service, 19 people died from lightning strikes in the United States in 2022, indicating a rise in the number of deaths from lightning strikes from 11 last year.
However, these groups are small compared to the American population of more than 300 million, with more than 25 million lightning strikes in the United States annually, according to the National Meteorological Service.
It is noteworthy that 90% of lightning victims survived.
However, here's what you can do to reduce your chance of getting hit by a bolt of lightning.
When it thunders, head inside
The National Meteorological Service has a simple but effective motto: "When it thunders, head inside".
As soon as you hear the sound of thunder or see a flash of lightning in the sky, you need to head inside as soon as possible.
Ron Hall, a meteorologist and lightning safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council, explained to CNN that "it's important to take shelter inside a large building or a closed car with a metal roof."
"Anywhere outside these two locations is not safe," he added.
"Ron Hall" by large buildings means structures with proper plumbing and wiring, that is, hiding inside tents or under Garden awnings does not make you immune from lightning.
And when lightning strikes a house or a building, it travels through plumbing and wires to grounded rods that safely transfer all that electrical charge to the ground.
Small shelters do not provide such protection.
If you hear thunder while camping or on the beach, and you don't have access to a large building, you should immediately take refuge in your car.
You have to wait 30 minutes inside the car after the last time according to the National Weather Service.
And you have to wait 30 minutes after the last time you heard the sound of thunder until you leave the car, according to the National Weather Service.
Avoid lightning strikes indoors
"Hall" explained that staying inside a proper building makes you safer than staying outside.
The next step is to close the windows, avoiding the use of wired electrical appliances, according to the National Weather Service.
Hall explained that bathing or even washing hands should be avoided during a thunderstorm, which poses a danger.
You should also stay away from balconies, garages, windows, and doors leading to the outside.
And if the outside is not safe for humans during a thunderstorm, then this applies to pets, so take your pets inside as soon as possible when you hear thunder.
The US agency says that kennels do not provide lightning protection, and dogs tied to trees are especially at risk.
Postpone the boat trip for another day
According to the national meteorological service, most large boats with cabins are considered safe during a thunderstorm, this does not apply to small boats, as "the vast majority of lightning injuries and boat-related deaths occur on small boats that are not equipped with a cabin".
It is important to listen to the weather forecast before making boat trips in anticipation of thunderstorm forecasts.
If you were on a boat and heard thunder, you should return to the shore as soon as possible, preferably at least 100 yards from the shore.
And if you can't head to shore, you should drop the anchor as low as possible, stay inside the boat cabin, and stay away from any metal surfaces, such as the radio you probably used to track the weather forecast in the first place.
But if you are not on the boat, or the boat does not have a cabin, then you should stay in deep water during a storm instead of returning to the boat, according to the US weather agency.
Last resort: staying safely outdoors
One of the main strategies for avoiding lightning strikes is awareness and planning, so it is worth following the weather forecast, and knowing about the possibility of thunderstorms in the places where they will be.
Set your schedule so that you can avoid going out when thunderstorms are expected.
If you can't hide in your home, here are some measures that reduce the risk of being struck by lightning outside.
In the event of a thunderstorm, avoid staying in the open field or on the tops of hills.
Similarly, you should stay away from tall and isolated objects such as trees, and immediately leave any bodies of water.
Of course, you will also need to avoid touching wet or metal objects that can conduct electricity.
Low-lying areas such as valleys are safer options.
If you are traveling with a group, it is worth leaving a distance between people to prevent the transmission of any current from one person to another, you should not lie on the floor.
Surviving a lightning strike
Although the vast majority of lightning victims survive, the effects of lightning exposure can be serious and long-lasting.
The survivors suffered debilitating injuries, burns, and constant disability, among which were symptoms such as seizures and memory loss.
Call an emergency immediately if lightning strikes someone around you, according to the National Meteorological Service.
The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that people who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electric charge, so it is safe to touch and transport them.
It is preferable to move the injured person inward; his heart or breathing may have stopped and he needs to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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