Lightning Overview
JUNE 24TH THROUGH 30TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS COLORADO LIGHTNING SAFETY AND WILDFIRE AWARENESS WEEK.
IN THE UNITED STATES...THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 25 MILLION CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING FLASHES EACH YEAR...AND EACH ONE IS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS...THERE HAS BEEN AN ANNUAL AVERAGE OF 44 LIGHTNING FATALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. BECAUSE LIGHTNING USUALLY CAUSES ONE OR TWO DEATHS OR INJURIES AT A TIME...AND IT DOES NOT CAUSE THE DESTRUCTION LEFT IN THE WAKE OF TORNADOES OR HURRICANES...LIGHTNING GENERALLY RECEIVES LESS ATTENTION. DOCUMENTED LIGHTNING INJURIES IN THE UNITED STATES AVERAGE ABOUT 300 PER YEAR. LAST YEAR ACROSS THE UNITED STATES...47 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY LIGHTNING. COLORADO SHARED THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF TOPPING THE LIST WITH FLORIDA...BOTH STATES REPORTING FIVE LIGHTNING DEATHS. IN ADDITION...COLORADO HAD 15 REPORTED LIGHTNING INJURIES.
MANY PEOPLE DO NOT ACT IN A TIMELY MANNER TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES AND PROPERTY...AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING.
YOU NEED TO BECOME AWARE OF THE SITUATIONS THAT PUT YOU AT A GREATER RISK OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING...AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT RISK. WHILE NEARLY ALL PEOPLE TAKE SOME PROTECTIVE ACTIONS WHEN RAIN...HAIL AND WIND ARE OCCURRING WITH THUNDERSTORMS...MANY LEAVE THEMSELVES VULNERABLE TO BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AS THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH... DEPART...OR ARE NEARBY. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY OR FARTHER FROM THE RAIN AREA OF A THUNDERSTORM. THAT DISTANCE IS ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU COULD BE IN DANGER OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
INSIDE BUILDINGS...YOU MUST AVOID ACTIVITIES WHICH PUT YOUR LIFE AT RISK FROM A POSSIBLE LIGHTNING STRIKE. YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID CONTACT WITH ANYTHING THAT CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY WELL. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS WELL BEFORE THE STORM THREATENS...IN ORDER TO PROTECT PROPERTY...SUCH AS UNPLUGGING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.
ALSO...IN THE UNFORTUNATE EVENT THAT A PERSON IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING...MEDICAL CARE MAY BE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE PERSON. CARDIAC ARREST AND HEART IRREGULARITIES...BURNS...AND NERVE DAMAGE ARE COMMON WHEN PEOPLE ARE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. HOWEVER...WITH PROPER TREATMENT...INCLUDING CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION IF NECESSARY...MOST VICTIMS SURVIVE A LIGHTNING STRIKE...ALTHOUGH THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ON THEIR LIVES CAN BE DEVASTATING.
MOST LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHEN LIGHTNING IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE CAUGHT OUTSIDE.
THE CHANCE THAT YOU WILL BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN THE UNITED STATES IS ABOUT 1 IN 700,000 FOR EACH YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER...YOUR CHANCE OF BEING STRUCK WILL DEPEND ON WHETHER YOU CONSISTENTLY PRACTICE ALL THE LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES.
LIGHTNING STARTS AROUND HALF OF THE FOREST AND RANGELAND WILDFIRES ACROSS THE STATE. COLORADO AVERAGES AROUND 2500 WILDFIRES EACH YEAR. MANY OF THESE LIGHTNING CAUSED FIRES OCCUR WITH VERY LITTLE OR NO RAIN. THESE STORMS OFTEN GENERATE GUSTY WINDS...WHICH CAN FAN THE FLAMES OF THE FIRE. NOAAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDES DAILY FIRE WEATHER
FORECASTS DURING THE WARM SEASON...AND SPOT FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS FOR THOSE WORKING PRESCRIBED BURNS AND WILDFIRES YEAR AROUND.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHTNING OR LIGHTNING SAFETY...VISIT NOAAS LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEB SITE AT...
HTTP://WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV
