Earth Gauge: Lightning Know-How
by Meteorologist Charles Daniel
Earth Guage
2008-06-16 08:14:39.0
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Alabama experienced an average of 853,644 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes per year between 1996 and 2005! Summer is peak lightning season, and in 2007, 45 people were struck and killed by lightning in the U.S. Of those lightning strikes, 98 percent the were outside, 80 percent were males, 30 percent were males between the ages of 20 and 25, 25 percent were standing under a tree, and 25 percent of strikes occurred near or on water.
The best place to be during a thunderstorm is indoors. However, it is important to know what to do if you are caught outside during a thunderstorm:
- If you are in the woods and cannot find a clearing, take shelter under the shortest trees; if you are on the water, get to land immediately and try to find shelter.
- Try to find a low-lying place, away from trees, poles, and other metal objects. Find a place that will not be subject to flooding.
- Make yourself a small target. Squat near the ground and place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Never lie flat on the ground - this makes you a bigger target!
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