By WEATHER WORLD on Jun 21, 2011, at 7:00 AM Updated on 6/20 at 9:30 PM
WEATHER WORLD
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One of my favorite hobbies is sitting on the back porch at my folks’ house in Arkansas and watching storms roll across the pasture. The lightning shows there are really spectacular, as the bright tentacles spread across the inky sky.
But behind the beauty, it can be easy to forget just how deadly lightning can be.
The National Weather Service is using this week to remind people about lightning’s dangers and provide tips on how to stay safe during the storm. This week is
Lightning Safety Awareness Week.
Lightning strikes have killed five people so far this year, including a
first responder who was helping in the aftermath of the Joplin tornado. Three of those were working in their fields and another was playing golf.
In 2010, 29 were killed. Between 2001 and 2010, four people were killed by lightning in Oklahoma.
I’ve had my close calls with lightning. Being from this part of the country, we like to watch the storm from as close a vantage point as we can get. This cavalier and daredevil approach probably has something to do with why, since records started in 1959, 85 percent of lightning victims are male, according to Donna Franklin, lightning safety program leader with the weather service.
“So it’s especially important that we teach young men to make wise decisions during thunderstorms,” she said. “When people hear thunder, they need to immediately stop what they are doing and go inside.”
That’s their main point: When you hear thunder, it’s time to go inside.
Here are the weather service’s tips to stay safe during a thunderstorm:
- Get into a fully enclosed building or hardtop vehicle at the first rumble of thunder
- Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last thunder clap
- Monitor the weather forecast when you’re planning to be outdoors
- Have a plan for getting to safety in case a thunderstorm moves in
- Do not use a corded phone during a thunderstorm unless it’s an emergency
- Unplugged cell phones are safe to use indoors
- Keep away from plumbing, electrical equipment and wiring during a thunderstorm
--Jerry Wofford
Oh, and
Happy Summer Solstice!
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