Lightning Hits Tree and Pool Fence; What Are Your Odds?
By: Rusty Wise – Wise News Network
Cherryville, NC (WNN) – Lightning strikes around 25 million times a year in the US, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). July also has the highest number of lightning deaths in the US, averaging 147 per year from 2006-2021, according to the NWS.
Lightning can reach 50,000 Degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than the sun’s surface. A typical lightning flash is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps, compared to a standard household receptacle, which is 120 volts and 15 amps.
So what can you do when you hear thunder? The best thing to do is go inside a structure or automobile. The structure will provide the best protection; however, an automobile will suffice because the rubber tires will act as an insulator from the ground.ย
Tips from the National Weather Service:
Outdoors
- Avoid open fields, the top of a hill, or a ridge top.
- Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.
- If you are in a group, spread out to avoid the current traveling between group members.
- If you camp in an open area, camp in a valley, ravine, or other low area. Remember, a tent offers NO protection from lighting.
- Stay away from water, wet items like ropes, and metal objects like fences and poles. Water and metal do not attract lightning, but they are excellent conductors of electricity. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long distances. (see video below)
Indoors
- Stay off corded phones, computers, and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
- Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths, and faucets.
- Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
- Do not lie on concrete floors or lean against concrete walls.
The majority of lightning injuries and deaths occur during leisure activities, including water-related activities and sports.ย
Many people get struck by lightning because they return outside too early after a storm. Wait at least 30 minutes before going back outside.
Do not leave pets outdoors, especially tied by a metal chain or collar. Metal is an excellent carrier of electricity.
So, what are the odds of getting struck per the NWS?
Odds of being struck in a given year = 1 in 1,222,000
Odds of being struck in your lifetime (Est. 80 years) = 1 in 15,300
Odds you will be affected by someone struck = 1 in 1,530
Of the lightning strikes reported, only about 10% of lightning-struck victims die; however, this leaves approximately 90% with degrees of disabilities, as reported by the NWS from 1989-2018.
Below is a video of a tree in the distance hit by lightning in the Cherryville-Waco, NC, area on July 23rd, 2024. The lightning hit the tree approximately 200 feet from the pool area. Sparks can be seen at the fencing’s joints at the weakest conductive points. Luckily, no one was injured.
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