**This article was first published in June 2011 but the information is still pertinent today.*
It seems like this warning is everywhere lately. I hear it on the radio, television, see it on fire station signs, it is even the personal platform for Miss Ohio 2011 Ellen Bryan. With all of the storms we have had this Spring/Summer I thought I would look into this warning to see what it is all about. All the information that I quote below, and a lot more, can be found at the National Weather Service website: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/index.htmtl. There is a lot to be aware of when the weather turns ugly.
According to National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States, there are about 25 million lightning flashes every year." Each one of these lightning flashes can potentially cause severe injuries or fatalities. The NWS statistics state that there were 29 lightning fatalities in 2010 and there have already been 6 to date this year.
The NWS defines lightning as "a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere or between the atmosphere and the ground." These giant sparks "can heat the air to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit: about 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun and and contain 100 million electrical volts...and "[a] lightning flash can travel horizontally many miles away from the thunderstorm and then strike the ground."" NWS website. This being the case, there is no where outside that is safe during thunderstorms. If you can hear thunder you are in striking distance of lightning. If you are outside when a storm rolls in you should immediately seek shelter in a safe building. A safe building is a structure that "is fully enclosed with a roof, walls and floor, and has plumbing or wiring. If a safe building is not an option you should go to a safe car. A safe car "is a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle such as a hard-topped car, minivan, bus, truck, etc."
I have only touched on the basics of keeping safe in a storm. For more detailed information please visit http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/index.htm. Remember, when planning outdoor activities or if you happen to get caught outdoors when a storm is rolling in remember the only way to be safe is to go indoors. Although it seems unlikely, when there is a storm there is always a possibility of a lightning strike.
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