Protect Yourself from Lightning Strikes
- Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
- Never lie flat on the ground.
- Never shelter under an isolated tree.
- Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
- Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
Is lightning a safety hazard?
Lightning is a dangerous natural force. Annually in the United States, cloud-to-ground lightning occurs 20 to 25 million times and over 300 people are struck by lightning. Employers should recognize lightning as an occupational hazard. Supervisors and workers at outdoor worksites should take lightning safety seriously.
What are some hazards of lightning?
Dangers of lightning
- ground current.
- side flash.
- contact (with an object struck by lightning)
- upward leaders.
- direct strike.
- blunt trauma.
Can lightning strike a phone?
“Cell phones, small metal items, jewelry, etc., do not attract lightning. Nothing attracts lightning. Lightning tends to strike taller objects,” said John Jensenius, a NOAA National Weather Service lightning expert.
What is lightning safety position?
Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground. Never shelter under an isolated tree. Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter. Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
What happens if you are struck by lightning?
Dr. Griggs says if a person is struck by lightning, it can cause cardiac arrest, which stops a person’s body from circulating blood and cause direct injury to the brain and nervous system, preventing the brain from being able to send the appropriate signals to tell the body to continue breathing.
Is it safe to watch TV in a thunderstorm?
It isn’t dangerous to watch TV during a thunderstorm, but the electronics in a TV set are vulnerable. If you have to make a telephone call, use a mobile phone detached from its cable rather than a landline device. Over-voltages resulting from a lightning strike may follow electrical conductors into the handset.
Can lightning bring down a plane?
An aircraft accident due to lightning is a rare event despite how many times one plane can be struck. Lightning usually strikes an aircraft on a sharp edge like the wing, nose or antennas. The electricity then flows through the wiring and exits the tail of the plane.
What happens when a lightning hits a plane?
Aluminum leads current. Lightning will usually hit a protruding part of the plane, such as the nose or the tip of the wing. The aircraft then flies through the lightning flash, which travels along the body, having chosen the path of least resistance.
Can lightning strike through plumbing?
Lightning can strike and electricity can travel through pipes and water, shocking you, according to John Jensenius, lightning safety specialist for the National Weather Service (NWS). According to the NWS, a safe place is indoors, away from metal, plumbing, anything plugged in, concrete, windows and doors.
