Storm Safety When Lightning Strikes

Some of us might enjoy a thunderstorm every now and then, but did you know that lightning strikes are responsible for around 24,000 deaths worldwide each year? Then take 240,000 and you've got the number of people who are injured by lighting but able to survive.

Yet even decades following a lighting strike, survivors may continue to experience devastating long-term effects from the event. Discovery News notes that a lighting strike zone can carry thousands of volts of electricity per square foot, which makes nerve damage common among survivors, as well as memory loss and the inability to concentrate.

The average lighting stroke has a peak electrical current of 30,000 amps. According to National Geographic, extreme lightning discharges can reach 10 times that while some discharges, especially those within a cloud, are only a few thousand amps. In fact, the electricity flowing within a lightning bolt can actually reach 200 million volts. This would be enough energy to kill someone on instant contact.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists the best ways to survive or avoid a lighting strike , via the following tips provided below:

• Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
• Postpone outdoor activities.
• Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
• Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
• Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.
• Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.
• Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades or curtains.
• Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.

Yet, it's important to note that even in sheltered areas, lighting can still be harmful. Make sure to stay away from light outlets and other electrical devices during harsh storms.