IEMA, IDNR and NWS increase awareness of lightning dangers during outdoor activities         

Lightning safety information to be available at state parks

[JUNE 19, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- According to the National Weather Service, an average of 67 people are killed by lightning each year in the United States. That is more than those killed by tornadoes and second only to deaths from flash flooding. In addition, it is estimated that more than 1,000 people are injured by lightning strikes in the nation each year. About 67 percent of lightning fatalities and injuries occur outdoors at recreational events, such as baseball and soccer games, on lakes or at golf courses, and under or near trees.

"Don't wait for the rain to fall before you take shelter from approaching thunderstorms.
If you are close enough to the storm to hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning," said Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Lincoln. "It is equally important to know that lightning can strike several miles away from a departing thunderstorm. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before returning outdoors."

General outdoor lightning safety tips:

• Get away from water. Stop activities in or near water, such as swimming, boating, fishing and camping, and seek a substantial shelter. A safe shelter is fully enclosed with a roof and four walls. Tents, picnic shelters or pavilions will not keep you safe.

• If no substantial shelter is available, seek refuge in a hard-topped vehicle with the windows up.

• Do not seek shelter under tall, isolated trees. This will increase your risk of being struck. If you're caught in the open, lightning often hits the tallest object, which could be you in an open field.

• If caught in the open, get low to the ground, on the balls of your feet in a crouching position. The goal is to get as low as possible, while minimizing your contact with the ground.

While you are much safer inside a building, the following tips can keep you even safer:

• Avoid contact with corded phones. Phone use is the leading cause of indoor lightning injuries.

• Stay away from windows and exterior doors. Windows and doors can provide a path for a direct strike to enter your home.

• Stay off porches and decks. Even if a porch is covered, it does not offer any protection from lightning strikes.

• Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Direct strikes and power surges due to lightning cause significant damage to personal property each year. If you plan to unplug any electrical equipment, do so well before the storm arrives.

• Stay away from plumbing and plumbing appliances. Do not take a shower or bath during a thunderstorm. Avoid appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and electric hot water heaters, since they use both water and electricity.

According to the National Weather Service, only about 10 percent of people who are struck by lighting are killed, leaving 90 percent with various degrees of disability. Only a few lightning-strike victims actually suffer burns, and these are usually minor. However, many lightning-strike survivors are left with debilitating lifelong effects, including memory loss, personality changes, fatigue, irreparable nerve damage, chronic pain and or headaches, difficulty sleeping, and dizziness.

People shouldn't hesitate to help someone who has been struck by lightning, since victims do not carry an electrical charge. The surge of electricity through a lightning victim's body causes cardiac arrest in most fatalities, so immediate medical attention is critical. If the victim doesn't have a pulse and isn't breathing, CPR should be administered immediately.

Each year, millions of people visit the state's more than 120 parks to hike, camp, fish or go boating. Unfortunately, these fun outings are sometimes interrupted by an unwelcome thunderstorm that can harbor dangerous lightning. Visitors to Illinois' state parks this year will find tips that can help them stay safe when a storm threatens their outdoor activities.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are joining together during national Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 18-24, to provide those tips to visitors at state parks. A new information card, "Do you hear thunder?" will be available at visitors' centers at all of the state parks this summer.

"Over 45 million people enjoyed the outdoors at our state parks last year, and whether you are camping or boating, it's important that you know what to do when severe weather strikes," said Sam Flood, acting director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "I would encourage all our park visitors to take a moment and look at the brochure. It could save your life."

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is part of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich's Keep Cool Illinois campaign, a statewide effort to help Illinoisans stay cool, healthy and safe during the summer months. Keep Cool Illinois seeks to inform Illinois residents on how to prevent heat-related problems, reduce their utility bills and participate in summer activities safely.

"With so many people visiting our state parks during the summer, we feel it's important to help them be as safe as possible," said William C. Burke, Illinois Emergency Management Agency director. "And while this effort is directed to people visiting state parks, the message about lightning safety really applies to everyone who will be participating in outdoor activities this summer." Burke noted that the information card and a more comprehensive guide to lightning safety are available at www.state.il.us/iema or by calling [phone]. 

Additional information about the Keep Cool Illinois campaign is available at www.keepcool.illinois.gov.

[Illinois Emergency Management Agency news release]

For more information

• Lightning Safety Awareness guide
  [To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF file, click here.]

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