Becoming Severe Weather Ready in the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia

Lightning and Lightning Safety

Other than flash flooding, lightning is the most deadly weather-related phenomenon. Around 80 people are killed and hundreds injured across the United States each year due to lightning strikes. Over the past 15 years, 11 people have been killed by lightning across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. This is more than the number killed by tornadoes and downbursts combined.
Lightning develops as a result of updrafts and downdrafts within a thunderstorm redistributing ice and water particles throughout the cloud. The collisions between these particles cause a separation in electrical charge, with the top of the cloud becoming positively charged and the bottom of the cloud becoming negatively charged. Lightning alleviates this difference in polarity. Cloud-to-ground lightning alleviates the difference in polarity between the negatively charged cloud base and an area of positive polarity that develops on the ground beneath the storm.
Lightning heats the air around it to 50,000 oF. This rapid heating induces a shock wave that we recognize as thunder. Thunder provides us with our best defense from lightning. Basically, if you can hear thunder, you are at risk of bring struck.

Lightning can strike up to 8 miles away from the storm that is causing it. This means it does NOT have to be raining where you are for you to be struck. In fact, some people are struck by lightning while the sun is shining at their location!
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all rank in the top 10 nationally in terms of lightning fatalities and injuries. One reason for this is thunderstorms are quite common across the area, especially during the late spring and summer. Another reason is the recreational opportunities that this part of the country presents. Mountains, lakes, and

numerous golf courses provide abundant opportunity for outdoor activities during the warm season. Unfortunately, open areas such as golf courses and lakes are frequent targets of lightning. Mountain tops are also highly vulnerable to lightning strikes, simply because they are closer to the base of thunderstorms. Lightning will always seek out the most efficient path to the ground, meaning that it usually strikes the tallest object. This may be a mountain-top, a tree, or if standing in an open area, people. It is important to understand that the National Weather Service does not issue warnings for lightning. Remember, a severe thunderstorm is one that produces large hail and damaging winds. Lightning is not a factor in warnings, because all thunderstorms by definition produce lightning.

Always consult a weather forecast before participating in outdoor activities for an extended period of time, especially during the late spring and summer.
Consider postponing activities if thunderstorm chances are high. At the very least, you should have some means of receiving timely weather reports.
If you can hear thunder, you can be struck. Go inside.
An enclosed structure provides the best shelter, but a hard-top automobile is adequate if other shelter is unavailable.
If you are on a lake, get to shore immediately if you hear thunder.
Once inside, unplug major electrical devices, stay off of chorded telephones, and do not take a bath or shower.
Do not go outside until it has been at least 30 minutes since you last heard thunder.

If you are caught outside, seek out a low spot, such as a ditch, away from trees and other tall objects and away from anything metal. Make yourself a small target by crouching down. Cover your ears. Keep as little of your body in contact with the ground as possible by standing on your toes.

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