Lightening Safety

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

• All thunderstorms produce lightning and are dangerous.  However, people can remain safe, as long as they follow some simple guidelines when thunderstorms are in the forecast.
• Lightning will often strike outside the area of heavy rain and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall.  A lot of the lightning deaths that occur happen either before the storm before any rain has arrived, or after the storm has appeared to have passed and the rain has ended.
• If you can hear the thunder, you are in danger.  Do not be fooled by the clear blue skies.  If you can hear the thunder, that means that lightning is close enough to pose as an immediate threat.
• Lightning leaves many of its victims with permanent disabilities.  While only about 10% of lightning victims die, many of the survivors are left with intense pain, neurological disabilities, depressions, and other health problems that stick with them for the rest of their lives.

Visit www.weather.gov/lightning to learn about how you can stay safe during a thunder and lightning storm.