Lightning Safty Tips from John Jensenius

School is out and summer is finally here, which means more time outdoors with the family! Although popular outdoor summertime activities are wonderful family-bonding experiences, they also come with risks we need to be aware of. The National Weather Service (NWS) & John Jensenius would like to share some lightning safety tips with you the Mom of 3 Boys readers:

Some facts about lightning:

·         Most lightning victims are close to safe shelter but wait too long to get there.
·         About 34% are outside, far from safe shelter, engaging in activities like bicycling, hiking, camping, and fishing, common family activities for the summer months.
·         Over 60% of lightning fatalities happen when people are engaged in leisure activities.
·         Lightning injuries often leave victims with serious life-long disabilities, depression, job loss and family breakups.
·         80% of lightning victims are male.  Men will make better choices if they believe their actions will have an impact on their families.  Social science shows that women are influential in getting the men in their lives to make smart choices when it comes to health and safety.

I had the chance to interview John and ask him a few questions to share with you all:

1.       What do you do if you are out in a lightning storm? ie camping, fishing, hiking

There isn't anything that you can do to provide a significant level of safety when outside.  That's why it is very important to plan ahead so that you can get to a safe place in case a thunderstorm develops.  There are things that would increase the risk of being struck which we tell people to avoid.  Lightning tends to strike the tallest object in the immediate area so you don't want to be the tallest object...and you don't want to be near the tallest object. Lightning travels along the ground surface, so you also don't want to lie down.  If you can't get to a substantial building, the best thing to do is get inside a nearby hard-topped metal vehicle if one is available.

2.       What should you do if someone is hit?

Call 911 for help.  Monitor the victim.  You may need an automated external defibrillator (AED) to get their heart started (if stopped) or CPR to keep them alive until help comes.

3.       What causes lightning?

Lightning is a rapid discharge of the charges that build up in a thunderstorm cloud.  I've put together a good explanation at the following web link.

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/overview.htm 

4.       Is a Lightning storm predictable?  Can the weather station predict it?

We can predict whether thunderstorms are likely to develop on a particular day based on whether the atmospheric conditions are favorable.  And we usually have some idea of the approximate time when they are likely to develop.  However, we are not able to predict the exact time or location where a thunderstorm will develop or where the lightning will occur.

5.       Where did you study?

My undergraduate degree in meteorology was from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.  My graduate degree was from the Pennsylvania State University.  However, much of what I've learned about lightning over the years has come from talking with researchers at national and international meetings. 

6.       What/When is/was the worst Lightning storm you have ever seen?

That's somewhat difficult to answer.  As a child, I watched lightning strike and blow apart a tree in my yard -- that was the most impressive personal incident.  The most impressive incident that I documented was a February lightning strike in Maine where the lightning struck about a half dozen places between two people's yards.  As for actual storms, the most startling are those that have woken me during the middle of the night with a nearby loud lightning strike.

7.      Where Else Can We Find You

You can like the National Weather Service on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!  

Lightning casualties are preventable IF we understand lightning safety rules and take responsibility to follow them. Together, we can help spread this information. To find out more, please visit www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.