Lightning science charged with danger, a few myths

(Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) The National Weather Service marks Lightning Safety Awareness Week June 21-27. More than 70 percent of lightning fatalities occur between June and August. Risk can be reduced by following the adage "when thunder roars, go indoors."

It's ringing phones, not thunder that John Jensenius hears this time of year.

He's the lighting expert at the National Weather Service and helped launch Lightning Safety Awareness Week nine years ago. The 2009 campaign comes to a conclusion Saturday.

It's true that lightning strikes more than 400 people in the United States. About 60 of those die, and many more are left with devastating and permanent disabilities.

It's also true that men are struck far more often than women, sustaining about 85 percent of lightning deaths. Men under 40 account for 60 percent of all lightning fatalities.

But there are some myths, too.

"Lightning is not attracted toward metal" Jensenius said. "It tends to strike the tallest object in the immediate area."

In fact, it's metal that spares a motorist whose vehicle is struck by lightning.

"Rubber tires do absolutely nothing to protect you," he said, dispelling a common misconception. "If you do go inside a vehicle, it needs to be a hard-topped, metal vehicle. It's that metal shell that protects you. If lightning does strike a vehicle it will follow the metal shell around you and you'll be safe. The vehicle may not be safe -- it may die and the electronics may be fried, but you'll be able to walk out of that situation."

A motorcycle will not protect its rider in a thunderstorm. In fact, one of the fatalities reported to Jensenius in 2009 involved a motorcycle rider. Others have died using bicycles and riding lawnmowers.

The "lightning crouch" was once advised for people who are trapped outside and feel their hair standing on end. The process of hunkering down and shifting weight to the balls of your feet is ineffective and is no longer recommended by the National Weather Service. The best thing to do is keep moving.

"You're only lowering yourself a couple of feet in terms of lightning, which is coming down from literally thousands of feet in the air," he said. "The fact that you're lowering yourself by a foot or two is pretty minimal in terms of your likelihood to get struck by lightning."

In a related myth, people who picture that bolt of lightning parting its victim's hair have also been misled.

"They are struck by the electric current as it moves in and along the ground," Jensenius said. "Actually, a very small percentage of people get stuck directly. More often than not, I think, in about a third of the cases last year, lightning stuck a tree and they, for whatever reason, were either under or very near a tree."

It's likely they would have should have been inside with the proper planning, according to Jensenius. He groups the people who are struck by lighting into three categories.

"One, is people being stuck before it starts raining," he said. 'That's often the case with many of these fatalities. People don't take shelter soon enough."

He said it's unfortunate that the desire to stay dry takes a priority over safety as a storm moves through an area. People caught in the open during the storm fall into his second category.

"Those people, for whatever reason, don't get inside," he said. 'Those would be people perhaps who are out camping. They may be some distance from shelter."

Anyone camping in a tent should get inside their vehicle.

"If there simply isn't anywhere you can go, then you're possibly in trouble, which is why we encourage people to plan ahead and listen to the forecast, so they don't get themselves in that situation," he said.

The third category of people struck by lightning are those who go outside too soon after the storm has passed.

"That is more common than you would think," he said.

Jensenius recommends waiting until 30 minutes after the last thunder before venturing outside. One common scenario involves people who waited out the rain while shopping. They're often struck going through the parking lot to or from the store.

Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from the rain area in a thunderstorm.

"In terms of being vulnerable, there isn't any place outside that's safe in a thunderstorm, so if they're outside, they're vulnerable," Jensenius said. "They have to get inside right away. Generally speaking, if they can hear thunder, they're in striking distance of a storm."

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LIGHTNING-FAST TIPS:

To avoid being struck by lightning, the National Weather Service recommends that you:

* Get into a fully enclosed building or hardtop vehicle at the first rumble of thunder.

* Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last thunder clap.

* Monitor the weather forecast when you're planning to be outdoors.

* Have a plan for getting to safety in case a thunderstorm moves in.

* Do not use a corded phone during a thunderstorm unless it's an emergency; cell phones are safe to use.

* Keep away from plumbing, electrical equipment and wiring during a thunderstorm.