Earlier this week, a young man in Alabama sadly lost his life after being struck by lightning. According to John Jensenius and the National Lightning Safety Council, eight people have died as a result of lightning strikes so far this year. Though this is not a large number of people- and in fact, it's half the number of lightning fatalities we normally see in the USA by this time of year- the sad truth is that almost every single lightning death is avoidable.
Image and information courtesy of the Lightning Safety Council
In these final days of summer, it's understandable that we want to maximize our time on the beach, at the ballgame, or whatever is driving out into the great outdoors. But if you hear thunder, it's not worth the risk. NOAA developed an adage to address this concept: "When thunder roars, go indoors". Below are some more facts and myths about lightning:
2022 AMS Weather Band Photo Contest winner: "Lighting Up the Tower" by Laura Hedien
- Lightning does not always strike the tallest object in an area. This is a common myth. What's actually happening is that lightning always chooses the path of least resistance. And while that path is often the tallest object in the immediate area, it's not always the case. And along those lines...
- Lightning is not attracted to metal. Most metals are excellent conductors of electricity, and many are easily ionized, which puts them in the "path of least resistance" category. But strictly speaking, metal does not attract lightning bolts.
- Standing under a tree will not keep you safe from a lightning strike. People can easily be electrocuted by lightning that travels through a tree and the ground below. Water is a very efficient conductor of electricity, and trees are loaded with water.
- Wearing rubber-soled shoes will not keep you safe from lightning. While rubber is an insulator, the soles of our shoes are not thick enough to protect from electricity in the ground after a lightning strike. Which leads to the next myth...
- You're not safe from lightning in a car because of its rubber tires. Instead, it's the metal frame of the automobile that protects you. But didn't I say that metal is a conductor of electricity? Absolutely. But when metal is fashioned into something called a Faraday Cage, and an insulating material is added (think of all the plastic and fabric elements inside a car), then lightning can't penetrate into the cabin of the vehicle. Importantly, the windows must be rolled up to ensure your safety in a thunderstorm.
- Lightning can, and does, strike the same place twice. I do not understand where this myth came from! On average, the Empire State Building is struck 25 times every year.
- While you can count the number of seconds between seeing a flash and hearing thunder to estimate the distance of a lightning bolt, this estimate is irrelevant to your safety. If you can hear thunder, you can be struck by lightning. Head inside immediately.
- And finally, "heat lightning" is not generated by heat! This moniker probably arose because distant lightning, out of earshot of the thunder, is more commonly seen in the summertime. More on heat lightning can be found in my June blog post about summer weather phenomena.
If you missed this great webinar from the AMS Weather Band, which is also the source of the spectacular photos in this post, you can watch the recording by becoming a Weather Band member. And get more lightning safety tips here.
WHEN THUNDER ROARS... GO INDOORS
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