A lightning strike can kill a person instantly, lead to cardiac arrest, cause serious burns and permanent brain damage. Fortunately, the risk of becoming a victim of such an incident is very low.
Even in the USA occupying second place in the number of lightning strikes in the world, from natural discharges die only about 28 people per year, and the chance become a victim the impact is less than one in a million.
Still, certain risks exist, especially for those who spend a lot of time outdoors during the period of greatest danger. Here’s how to avoid it.
How to protect yourself from lightning strikes in nature
Most often lightning kills people in the summer, during outdoor activities – fishing, boating, sports games or beach holidays. Therefore, when going outdoors, check the weather forecast. If there is a thunderstorm, it is better to stay home.
If bad weather still finds you in an open area, do the following.
Determine if the danger is great
It’s worth seeking shelter as soon as you hear thunder. However, if you don’t want to interrupt an activity, such as a sports match or a camping trip, determine whether the storm is approaching or moving away.
To to figure out approximate distance to the thunderstorm, count how many seconds passed between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder, and then multiply this number by the speed of sound – 340 m/s.
For example, if thunder sounded 5 seconds after lightning, there is 1,700 m (340 m/s × 5 s) between you and the thunderstorm, and if only 3 seconds have passed, about a kilometer.
Repeat the count after 1–2 minutes. If the pause between lightning and thunder increases, then the storm moves away, and if it shortens, it approaches. In the latter case, do not try to sit out in a tent or under an awning. Get to a safe place as soon as possible.
Find shelter
Remember: awnings, tents and awnings won’t protect you from lightning. And if they get wet, they will pose an additional danger, since water conducts electricity well.
A good shelter can be a house or car with the windows closed. If there is nothing nearby, move on to the next step.
Find a place to ride out the storm
Everything will depend on where you are:
- Avoid open spaces, hills and peaks. Try to find a ravine, hollow or other natural depression and wait out the storm there.
- In the forest, stay away from tall trees, especially pines, oaks and poplars, as lightning can blow them to pieces or set them on fire.
- Do not stand in the water and try to move away from the pond. If a thunderstorm catches you on a boat, row to the shore as quickly as possible to find shelter on dry land. Especially if the boat has no cabin – people die in these most often.
- In the steppe or field, do not lie flat – if lightning passes through the ground, you will expose a large area of your body to the strike. It’s better to squat down and clasp your legs with your hands.
And remember: if you’re traveling in a group, keep your distance from each other. If one person is struck by lightning, the other will be able to help him.
How to protect yourself from lightning strikes in the city
In urban environments it is easier to hide from a thunderstorm. As soon as you hear thunder, look for safe place: residential building, office building, car with closed windows.
As a rule, lightning rods are installed in the city, so it is safe to be in residential buildings and office buildings. But open structures like a gazebo, veranda or sports arena can save you from rain, but not from lightning.
While you get to the shelter, try hold on away from tall objects such as trees and telephone poles. And don’t touch anything that conducts electricity well, like metal fences and gutters.
How to protect yourself from a lightning strike in a private home
Lightning can hit into the house or into it through electrical wires and water pipes. Therefore, during a thunderstorm you should be careful:
- Do not touch electrical equipment – use the remote control if possible.
- Avoid running water—don’t turn on the water until after the storm.
- Stay away from windows and doors that directly face the street and have metal parts.
- Do not go out onto the balcony or veranda.
- Do not lie on concrete floors or lean against concrete walls: lightning can travel along wires and fittings inside hollow structures.
- Unplug electrical appliances in advance if the storm has not yet begun. But if lightning is already flashing and thunder is roaring outside, do not go near the wires.
- Take your pets home. A doghouse is not a good shelter during a thunderstorm.
What to do if a person is struck by lightning
Even though lightning It has current up to 180,000 A and temperature up to 300,000 °C, only 10% of accidents involving it are running out death.
And although the blow does not pass without a trace and can result in a variety of disorders (from damage to internal organs to chronic pain and depression), 90% of people survive. And some manage to endure several such cases.
Thus, if help is provided in time, a person can survive and even do without serious damage. Specific measures depend on the circumstances and situation.
If lightning strikes you
Check to see if your clothes or hair are on fire. If this happens, as quickly as possible send it off these things. And if you take them off for too long, you’ll fall and roll on the ground, trying to put out the flames.
Even if everything seems fine, call an ambulance. Sometimes damage from lightning does not appear immediately, but after some time, and it is better to be under the supervision of doctors at this moment.
And don’t stay in the same place: lightning Maybe hit again. So try to change the location while waiting for the doctors to arrive.
If lightning strikes another person
Don’t be afraid to approach it: lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge, and you will not be electrocuted. Provide the victim with the necessary assistance:
- If a person’s clothes are on fire, in any way put it out it: fill it with water, cover it with earth or snow, throw a thick cloth over it and press it to the burning area to block the access of oxygen.
- Call an ambulance – dial 112.
- Check your pulse and breathing. If they are not there, proceed with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Read how to do it here.
- If possible, move the victim to a safe place and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
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