Avoiding a Lightning Strike

A human can survive a lightning strike. According to Fox News.com Don Frick of Hamlin PA did just that, twice. After the latest incident in July '07 he is quoted as saying "It burned my zipper off, burned my pockets, but didn't burn me." The National Weather Service states that over the last 30 years the United States has averaged 300 documented injuries and 62 deaths from lightning strikes annually. The only weather related killers in the U.S. that surpass lightning strikes in fatalities are floods. So I would conclude the best way to survive a lightning strike is to avoid the strike! It is easy to become desensitized to the dangers of lightning in areas where thunderstorms occur frequently as you may see thousands of bolts of lightning in one storm and never have a strike near you. The shear number of bolts that can be generated in a storm is however what makes it more likely to strike you.

The most dangerous form of lightning is called cloud to ground, commonly referred to as a CG. Though the exact causes of lightning are still being researched it is generally agreed that lightning will join two centers of opposite charge. The debate about lightning formation mainly concerns exactly how the thunderstorm produces these opposite charges. A CG results from a negative charge near the cloud base and a positive charge on the surface. This forms bolts that connect the opposite poles. A common misconception is that the lightning bolt from a CG will come down on your head. The truth is that as the bolt (called a stepped ladder) descends it attracts the positive charge from the surface (return stroke) thus initiating the real power of the bolt flowing up from the surface to meet its' descending counterpart. So if you experience a direct strike it will travel from your feet up through the rest of your body.

You should follow safety rules that apply to all severe thunderstorms in order to reduce your chances of being struck by lightning. Keep a weather radio with SAME (specific area message encoding) technology and working batteries around. Staying indoors away from windows is especially important. Do not use telephones, and it is a good idea to not be seated on the toilet. Though it is rare there have been several documented cases of people being blown clear off the seat! Pipes and wires are good electrical conductors. A lightning rod can be installed to your home in order to divert a strike harmlessly under the ground. These are not as simple to install as they appear and is best left to a professional. An improperly installed lightning rod can increase the risk of fire resulting from a lightning strike.

The real problem arises when you are unable to get indoors before lighning is overhead. This problem may be avoided if you are able to determine how far away the lightning is occurring. Lightning travels at the speed of light which is approximately 100,000 miles per second. Thunder travels at the speed of sound or roughly 1000 feet per second. This makes it convenient to get a good idea of how far away the lightning is. When you see the lightning immediately count...a thousand one...a thousand two, when you hear the thunder then stop countIng. This number will be the distance of the lightning in thousands of feet. So if you get to 7 the lightning is about 7000 feet away. An average middle latitude extra tropical storm in the spring and summer months moves at about 30 miles per hour , this should give you a rough estimate of the time you have before the lightning will be overhead.

If you are unable to get indoors or into a vehicle you should find the lowest spot away from tall and/or metal objects. A tall object such as a tree is the most likely place in the area for a cloud to ground lightning strike! It would form under your feet before traveling through you to meet with the bolt descending from the storm. While a vehicle is a safe haven for lightning, it can be dangerous to be in a car with high winds or threat of tornados. Water is a great coductor, so stay clear from it. The only really safe place is indoors. A structure such as an open sided picnic shelter provides little refuge. If you see or feel you hair tingling and standing up you need to run and find shelter fast. I have seen video of a storm chaser's hair rise up only to have her jump back in the vehicle narrowly avoiding a strike. We did not realize just how close it was until we slowed the video down. I am surprised she came out with her pockets and zipper intact.

Thunderstorms can be awe inspiring, particularly those with an abundance of lightning. It is important to remember just how dangerous the light show can be. Being cautious and using common sense can certainly go a long way toward staying safe in a thunderstorm.