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Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes within the United States an
average of 25 million times every year. A single bolt, with a length
that can exceed 5 miles and a width of 1 to 2 inches, can generate
100 million electrical volts and a temperature near 50,000 degrees
F. "Lightning is a potential hazard to people outdoors and indoors
and results in millions of dollars in economic losses," said retired
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of the National
Weather Service. "Lightning kills an average of 67 people in the
United States each year and can result in property loss, damage to
aircraft and electronics, and can be the spark that ignites
devastating wildfires."
Exceeding the number of fatalities are the estimated 600-700
lightning survivors who are left with debilitating health effects
each year. "While about 90 percent of those struck by lightning
survive, they frequently have permanent aftereffects, such as
chronic pain, brain injury and thought-processing problems," said
Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, professor in the University of Illinois
Department of Emergency Medicine.
Reduce your chance of being struck by moving inside a substantial
building or hard-topped metal vehicle when thunderstorms threaten.
Once inside, avoid contact with plumbing, corded phones or anything
plugged into electricity.
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 "Casualties are more likely to occur during the summer months and
in open areas such as golf courses and playing fields, but
lightning's deadly strike can hit anytime during the year and in all
segments of the nation," said John Jensenius, a lightning safety
expert at the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in
Gray, Maine.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and
warnings for the United States and its territories. The National
Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning
and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and
property and enhance the national economy.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of
the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic
security and national safety through the prediction and research of
weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.
On the Web:
[National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration news release]
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