Lightning only needs to strike once to cause considerable injury or death and no place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area. More than half of all lightning victims are struck during recreational activities.However, there are precautions you can take, including:
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Lightning TipsDo:
- Move immediately to safe shelter -- a building or inside a closed metal topped vehicle with the windows up -- when you hear thunder. Thunder means that lightning is nearby.
- Stay sheltered until at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.
- Stay low when outdoors – lightning hits the tallest object. Get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks. If caught in an open field, seek a low spot and crouch with your feet together and head low.
- Stay away from objects that conduct electricity,such as barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, and other tall objects.
- Drop metal objectslike golf clubs, fishing poles, umbrellas, and backpacks with metal frames. Wet items, such as ropes, also conduct electricity.
- Get off bicycles, motorcycles, horses, and all-terrain vehicles.
- Don't stay on lakes, ponds, and rivers. Seek shelterwhen a storm approaches. Boaters who cannot get off the water before the storm hits should crouch low in the boat. Once on land, get at least 100 yards away from shore.
- Carry a NOAA radioor visitweather.gov for weather updates. Remember that weather information is provided for a nearest city and not for a national forest or grassland.
- It is safe to touch someone who has been struck by lightning.Attend to people who have been struck by lightning. Call for help immediately. Perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, and stay with the victim until help arrives.
Don’t:
- Pitch your tent near the tallest tree– lightning strikes tall objects.
- Stand near isolated trees, on cliffs, ridge tops, or rocky overhangs. Run into the forest if possible. Caves are a last resort for shelter, as they have high risks, including falling hazards, rock falls, and cold, dark conditions.
- Stand in open fields. If you are caught in an open field, seek a low spot. Crouch with your feet together and head low.
- Sit or lie down – these positions provide much more contact with the ground, allowing a wider path for lightning to follow. If you are with a group and the threat of lightning is high, spread out at least 15 feet apart to minimize the chance of everybody getting hit.
- Return to an open area too soon. People have been struck by lightning near the end of a storm, which is still a dangerous time.
Sources: U.S. Forest Service and NOAA/National Weather Service
Remember: You are responsible for your safety and for the safety of those around you.
