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 Each year dozens of people in the U.S. are killed by lightning and many more are injured. The National Weather Service is raising awareness to the dangers of lightning by designating the week of April 28 through May 4 as "Lightning Safety Awareness Week". Read on to learn more about lightning, and how to avoid the dangers it presents. Lightning results from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between positive and negative charges. The air near a lightning strike is heated to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than the surface of the sun. The rapid heating and cooling of air near the lightning channel causes a shock wave which results in thunder. Lightning will normally strike the highest object in an area. The highest object may be a tall tree, a boat on a lake, an antenna or a person standing in an open field. Lightning is also responsible for fires which have resulted in several hundred million dollars a year in damage and the loss of 2 million acres of forest. Lightning is the one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths during an average year. Most casualties occur during the summer months in the afternoon and early evening. Most lightning deaths and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors. A persons chance of being struck by lightning is approximately 1 in 600,000, but is greatly reduced by following safety precautions. Want more? Visit NOAA's Lightning Safety page. Other lightning resources can be found HERE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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