Avoid getting struck by lightning: When thunder roars, go indoors

Lightning can be deadly. [Pixabay]

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is commemorating Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June 23-29) by advising the public about the dangers posed by lightning and how to avoid getting hurt.

Each second, about 100 bolts of lightning hit the earth’s surface all over the world, FCFRD states. A single bolt can carry up to one billion volts of electricity, but people can be hurt by as little as 42 volts.

Approximately 2,000 people worldwide are killed each year due to lightning strikes while thousands more are injured. There were four deaths in the United States so far in 2019, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s always lightning when there’s thunder, so FCFRD urges people to live by this rule: When thunder roars, go indoors.

Here are some other safety tips:

• If there are no buildings close by, get into an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle and close the windows.
• Wait 30 minutes after the last lightning strike or thunder to go back outside.
• Plan your day around the threat of weather to avoid being caught outside when storms hit. Summer thunderstorms typically happen in the late afternoon and evening.
• Avoid contact with water during a thunderstorm. Electric currents from lightning can travel quickly through water.
• Avoid open areas. Don’t be the tallest object in the area. 
• Stay away from isolated tall trees, towers, and utility poles. 
• Stay away from metal conductors such as wires or fences. Metal does not attract lightning, but lightning can travel long distances through it. Stay away from concrete floors and walls, as lightning can travel through metal bars in the concrete.
• If you are with a group of people, spread out. While this actually increases the chance that someone might get struck, it tends to prevent multiple casualties, and increases the chances that someone could help if a person is struck.