Being outdoors during a thunderstorm is dangerous and that is especially true if you are involved in activities on the water. Here’s the latest installment for Lightning Awareness Week.
-Brian-
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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 AM CDT TUE JUN 24 2014
...THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK...
TODAY'S TOPIC IS LIGHTNING'S MOST DEADLY ACTIVITIES. LIGHTNING
KILLS. WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS!
IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE WHEN A THUNDERSTORM IS IN THE AREA, YOU'RE AT RISK
OF BEING STRUCK AND POTENTIALLY KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED BY
LIGHTNING. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME ACTIVITIES THAT LEAD TO MORE
LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES THAN OTHERS. IN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS,
LEISURE ACTIVITIES LED TO ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE LIGHTNING
FATALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. WATER-RELATED ACTIVITIES, AND
PARTICULARLY FISHING, CONTRIBUTED MOST TO THE FATALITIES. SINCE
2006, 30 PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN FISHING DIED AS A RESULT OF LIGHTNING.
BOATING AND BEACH ACTIVITIES ALSO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE
DEATH TOLL. IN MOST CASES, VICTIMS SIMPLY WAITED FAR TOO LONG
BEFORE STARTING TO SEEK SHELTER.
WHEN IT COMES TO WATER-RELATED ACTIVITIES, THERE ARE SEVERAL
IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:
ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO A SAFE PLACE BEFORE
THE STORM ARRIVES.
HEAD TO THAT SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU SEE ANY SIGNS OF A
DEVELOPING OR APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM. DON'T HESITATE.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: IF WATER ACTIVITIES ARE SO DANGEROUS, WHY DON'T
ALL THE FISH IN A POND OR LAKE GET KILLED WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
THE WATER?
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES WATER, MOST OF THE DISCHARGE OCCURS ALONG THE
SURFACE OF THE WATER. SINCE MOST FISH SWIM WELL BELOW THE WATER
SURFACE, THEY ARE SAFE. HOWEVER, PEOPLE NORMALLY SWIM ALONG THE
SURFACE OF THE WATER AND CAN EASILY KILLED BY A LIGHTNING DISCHARGE.
WEDNESDAY'S TOPIC WILL BE LIGHTNING SAFETY AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LIGHTNING SAFETY, GO TO
WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV, OR CONTACT JIM STEFKOVICH,
METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AT
205-664-3010, EXTENSION 222, OR JOHN DE BLOCK, WARNING COORDINATION
METEOROLOGIST, AT EXTENSION 223.
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER, CLIMATE, AND WATER INFORMATION FOR CENTRAL
ALABAMA, VISIT YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON CENTRAL ALABAMA.
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