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Lightning never strikes twice in the same place. |
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Lightning repeatedly strikes the same objects year after year. |
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| Tall structures, such as the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower, get hit many times a year by lightning, as do mountain tops and radio-television antennas. The Empire State Building is struck by lightning an average of 23 times a year. During one thunderstorm the building was struck eight times in 24 minutes. If you can hear thunder, then lightning is near enough that YOU can be struck. Follow these lightning safety rules... |
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 DO NOT LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND!!!If you are caught outside and you feel or see your hair stand up then lightning may be about to strike you. IMMEDIATELY DO THIS!!! Squat down as low as you can on the balls of your feet (see illustration right). Remain in that position until one of two things happen; either lightning strikes nearby or the tingling sensation you feel from your hair dissipates. Why not lay flat on the ground? When lightning strikes the ground it does not instantly go below the surface but forks out in many different directions along the surface from the point of contact as much as twenty feet. This is usually how groups of people are struck by lightning. If you were laying flat on the ground, you risk a much greater chance of one of those forks reaching a part of your body. What you want to do is minimize contact with the ground area while getting as low to the ground as possible. |
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Help your friends and family by Learning CPR. About one-third of all victims of lightning strike die, many due to cardiac arrest and some can be resuscitated using CPR. A victim struck by lightning DOES NOT carry an electrical charge and are safe to touch. However, make sure that the victim was struck by lightning and not electrocuted by downed power lines. Be sure to check that there are NO wires touching the victim. If wires DO touch the victim, then he or she may not have been struck by lightning but electrocuted by a power line and STILL contain a deadly charge. If you were to touch them the you could also be electrocuted. |
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Do not use the telephone unless it is an emergency (or any electrical appliance for that matter). Over 300 injuries and 36 deaths have occurred since 1959 while using the telephone when lightning struck nearby. Also, water in a bathtub can be just as lethal should lightning strike a pipe on or near your place of residence. One person was injured as she grabbed for her refrigerator door at the same time lightning struck her home. |
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