Top Myths of Lightning Safety
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
1. MYTH: Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice
TRUTH: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it’s a tall pointy isolated object. The Sears Tower in Chicago is hit 40-90 times a year.
2. MYTH: If It's Not Raining, Or If Clouds Aren't Overhead, I'm Safe From Lightning
TRUTH: Lightning often strikes more than three miles from the thunderstorm, far outside the rain or even thunderstorm cloud. Some can strike 10-15 Miles from the thunderstorm.
3. MYTH: Rubber Tires Protect You From Lightning In A Car By Insulating You From The Ground
TRUTH: 2 inches of rubber won't stop lightning. Most cars are reasonably safe from lightning. But it’s the metal roof and metal sides that protect you, not the rubber tires. Thus convertibles, motorcycles, bicycles, open shelled outdoor recreational vehicles, and cars with plastic or fiberglass shells offer no lightning protection.
4. MYTH: Structures With Metal, Or Metal On The Body (Jewelry, Watches, Glasses, Backpacks, Etc.) Attract Lightning
TRUTH: Height, pointy shape, and isolation points usually but now always dominate where a lightning bolt will strike. The presence of metal makes virtually no difference on where lightning strikes. Mountains are made of stone, but receive many strikes each year. When lightning threatens, take proper protective action immediately. Don’t waste time shedding metal off your body, or seeking shelter under inadequate structures. But while metal doesn’t attract lightning, touching or being near long metal objects (fences, railings, bleachers, vehicles, etc.) is still unsafe when thunderstorms are nearby. If lightning does happen to hit it, the metal can conduct the electricity a long distance (even over 100 yards) and still electrocute you.
5. MYTH: Headphones, Ipods, MP3s, Cell phones Attract Lightning
TRUTH: Small metal objects don't have much to say on a lightning strike's final target. Questions still remain whether wearing headphones will help or hurt you should you sustain a direct hit. The headphone cable could help divert the bulk of the lightning current around the upper body away from the heart, but the wire will still be overloaded and cause severe burns. If the wire is not there, the energy is in direct contact with your skin causing a large percentage of current running through your body all the way down. There have also been cases where the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient's head causing severe injuries to the eardrums. A person sustaining a direct strike will have severe burns and possibly fatal injuries so the best way to avoid injuries is to avoid getting struck in the first place.
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