The summer months of June, July, and August are when thunderstorms are most numerous across our vast land, so lightning safety becomes very important. The National Weather Service is drawing attention to this threat this week with Lightning Awareness Week. Today’s focus is on taking shelter.
-Brian-
NOUS44 KBMX 231229 PNSBMX ALZ011>015-017>050-240030- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 729 AM CDT MON JUN 23 2014 ...THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK... TODAY'S TOPIC IS AN INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING SAFETY. LIGHTNING KILLS--WHEN IT ROARS, GO INDOORS! IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR, THERE ARE 20 TO 25 MILLION CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. WHILE LIGHTNING CAN BE FASCINATING TO WATCH, IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. EACH ONE OF THOSE 25 MILLION FLASHES IS A POTENTIAL KILLER. DURING THE LAST 30 YEARS, LIGHTNING HAS KILLED MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, AN AVERAGE OF 51 PEOPLE PER YEAR BASED ON DOCUMENTED CASES. DURING THIS SAME PERIOD, LIGHTNING HAS INJURED AN ESTIMATED 15,000 PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM WERE LEFT WITH LIFE-LONG NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE. BRINGING THAT DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL, ALABAMA HAD 11 REPORTED LIGHTNING DEATHS BETWEEN 2004 AND 2013. IN ADDITION TO THE DEATHS AND INJURIES, LIGHTNING CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE ACROSS THE NATION. EACH YEAR, LIGHTNING IS THE CAUSE OF ABOUT 25,000 FIRES, INCLUDING ABOUT 4400 HOUSE FIRES, 1800 OTHER STRUCTURAL FIRES, AND NUMEROUS FOREST FIRES. THOSE FIRES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL ESTIMATED 12 DEATHS PER YEAR. ALL TOTALED, LIGHTNING CAUSES NEARLY $1 BILLION IN DAMAGES EACH YEAR. DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, WE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING SAFETY. WE'LL COVER WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS DANGEROUS KILLER. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE OUTSIDE DURING A THUNDERSTORM. WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS! LIGHTNING FACT FOR TODAY: THE BEST PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING IS A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING. IF YOU CAN'T GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING, A HARD-TOPPED METAL VEHICLE WILL PROTECT YOU FROM LIGHTNING. IF THE VEHICLE IS STRUCK, THE LIGHTNING WILL FOLLOW THE OUTER METAL SHELL OF THE VEHICLE TO THE GROUND. IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FULLY INSIDE THE VEHICLE WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP. NOTE THAT THE RUBBER TIRES DO NOT PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM BEING STRUCK, NOR DO THEY PROVIDE ANY PROTECTION. TUESDAY'S TOPIC WILL BE LIGHTNING'S MOST DEADLY ACTIVITIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LIGHTNING SAFETY, GO TO WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON CENTRAL ALABAMA, 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. $$
