LIGHTNING KILLS PLAY IT SAFE By John Jensenius Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service It's a common situation a thunderstorm is approaching or nearby. Are conditions safe, or is it time to head for safety? Not wanting to appear overly cautious, many people wait far too long before reacting to this potentially deadly weather threat. To promote a better understanding of the threats of lightning, the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in conjunction with lightning experts across the country, are sponsoring Lightning Safety Awareness Week from June 20-26, 2004. The goal of this campaign is to give people a better understanding of the dangers of lightning so that they make safer decisions when thunderstorms threaten. The safety recommendations outlined during the week are based on lightning research and the lessons learned from the unfortunate experiences of thousands of lightning strike victims. Several survivors have joined with the National Weather Service in this educational effort. As the survivors can attest, knowledge of lightning safety is something that should be learned through education, NOT through experience. In order to understand the lightning threat, some basic information should be known. Thunderstorms produce two types of lightning flashes, 'negative' and 'positive.' While both types are deadly, the characteristics of the two types of flashes are quite different. Of the two, negative flashes occur more frequently, usually under or near the base of the thunderstorm where rain is falling. In contrast, positive flashes generally occur away from the center of the storm and often in areas where rain is not falling. Because theses positive flashes occur where the lightning threat is perceived to be low or nonexistent, they often catch people by surprise. Each year across the United States, thunderstorms produce an estimated 25 million cloud-to-ground flashes of lightning -- each one of those flashes is a potential killer. Based on cases documented by the National Weather Service over the past 30 years, an average of 73 people are killed by lightning each year and hundreds more are injured, some suffering devastating neurological injuries that persist for the rest of their lives. A growing percentage of those struck are involved in outside recreational activities. Officials responsible for sports events and other outdoor activities often lack an adequate knowledge of thunderstorms and lightning to make educated decisions on when to seek safety. Without knowledge, officials base their decisions on personal experience and, sometimes, on the desire to complete the activity. Due to the nature of lightning, however, personal experience can be misleading. While many people routinely put their lives in jeopardy when thunderstorms are nearby, few are actually struck by lightning. This results in a false sense of safety. Unfortunately, this false sense of safety has resulted in numerous lightning deaths and injuries during the past several decades because people made decisions that unknowingly put their lives or the lives of others at risk. For organized outdoor activities, the National Weather Service recommends that organizers have a lightning safety plan, and that they follow the plan without exception. The plan should give clear and specific safety guidelines in order to eliminate errors in judgment. These guidelines should answer the following questions. When should activities be stopped? Where should people go for safety? When should activities be resumed? Who should monitor the weather and who is responsible to make the decision to stop activities? What should be done if someone is struck by lightning? In addition, prior to an activity or event, organizers should listen to the latest forecast to determine the likelihood of thunderstorms. A NOAA Weather Radio is a good source of up-to-date weather information. If thunderstorms are forecast, organizers should consider canceling or postponing the activity or event. In some cases, the event can be moved indoors. Once people start to arrive, the guidelines in the lightning safety plan should be followed. Below is some information to consider when making a lightning safety plan. When should activities be stopped? The sooner that activities are stopped and people get to a safe place, the greater the level of safety. In general, a significant lightning threat extends outward from the base of a thunderstorm cloud about 6 to 10 miles. Therefore, people should move to a safe place when a thunderstorm is 6 to 10 miles away. Also, the plan's guidelines should account for the time it will take for everyone to get to safety. Here are some criteria that could be used to halt activities. 1. If lightning is observed. The ability to see lightning varies depending on the time of day, weather conditions, and obstructions such as trees, mountains, etc. In clear air, and especially at night, lightning can be seen from storms more than 10 miles away provided that obstructions don't limit the view of the thunderstorm. 2. If thunder is heard. Thunder can usually be heard for a distance of about 10 miles provided that there is no background noise. Traffic, wind, and precipitation may limit the ability to hear thunder to less than 10 miles. If you hear thunder, though, it's a safe bet that the storm is within ten miles. 3. If the time between lightning and corresponding thunder is 30 seconds or less. This would indicate that the thunderstorm is 6 miles away or less. As with the previous two criteria, obstructions, weather, noise and other factors may limit the ability to use this criterion. In addition, a designated person must diligently monitor any lightning. In addition to any of the above criteria, activities should be halted if the sky looks threatening. Thunderstorms can develop directly overhead and some storms may develop lightning just as they move into an area. Where should people go for safe shelter? There is no place outside that is safe in or near a thunderstorm. Consequently, people need to stop what they are doing and get to a safe place immediately. Small outdoor buildings including dugouts, rain shelters, sheds, etc., are NOT SAFE. Substantial buildings with wiring and plumbing provide the greatest amount of protection. Office buildings, schools, and homes are examples of buildings that would offer good protection. Once inside, stay away from windows and doors and anything that conducts electricity such as corded phones, wiring, plumbing, and anything connected to these. In the absence of a substantial building, a hard-topped metal vehicle with the windows closed provides good protection. Occupants should avoid contact with metal in the vehicle and, to the extent possible, move away from windows. When should activities be resumed? Because electrical charges can linger in clouds after a thunderstorm has passed, experts agree that people should wait at least 30 minutes after the storm before resuming activities. Who should monitor the weather and who is responsible to make the decision to stop activities? Lightning safety plans should specify that someone be designated to monitor the weather for lightning. The 'lightning monitor' should not be the coach, umpire, or referee, as they are not able to devote the attention needed to adequately monitor conditions. The 'lightning monitor' must know the plan's guidelines and be empowered to assure that those guidelines are followed. What should be done if someone is struck by lightning? Most victims can survive a lightning strike; however, medical attention may be needed immediately -- have someone call for medical help. Victims do not carry an electrical charge and should be attended to at once. In many cases, the victim's heart and/or breathing may have stopped and CPR may be needed to revive them. The victim should continue to be monitored until medical help arrives; heart and/or respiratory problems could persist, or the victim could go into shock. If possible, move the victim to a safer place away from the threat of another lightning strike. For additional information: The National Weather Service and NOAA have set up a web site that provides a wealth of information on lightning and lightning safety. The address is: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/ In addition, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has adopted a specific set of lightning safety recommendations used for intercollegiate athletic events. The recommendations can be found at: http://www.ncaa.org/sports_sciences/sports_med_handbook/1d.pdf For further information concerning lightning or weather safety, contact the nearest National Weather Service Office. The nearest office can be located by going to the following web site and clicking on the appropriate state. http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/contact.htm More information on NOAA Weather Radio can be found at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/