...TODAY/S TOPIC IS...PART 8...LIGHTNING...
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...LIGHTNING DANGER...
LIGHTNING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH
THUNDERSTORMS. LIGHTNING CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME OF DAY AND AT ANY TIME
OF THE YEAR SO YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS IT BRINGS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU HEAR THUNDER YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE AT RISK
FROM LIGHTNING. THERE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED CASES OF LIGHTNING
STRIKING 20 MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. YOU DON/T NEED
A THUNDERSTORM OVERHEAD IN ORDER TO HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKE THE GROUND
NEARBY.
...LIGHTNING CHARACTERISTICS...
THUNDER IS ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHTNING. THUNDER IS ACTUALLY A
SHOCK WAVE CREATED BY SUPER HEATED AIR...INSTANTLY WARMED BY THE
EXTREME HEAT FROM THE BOLT OF LIGHTNING. THE TEMPERATURE OF A SINGLE
BOLT OF LIGHTNING CAN EXCEED 50000 DEGREES F...THAT/S THREE TIMES
HOTTER THAN THE SUN.
...LIGHTNING CASUALTIES...
MOST LIGHTNING RELATED CASUALTIES OCCUR DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS
AND DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. IN WISCONSIN BETWEEN
2005 AND 2014...8 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY LIGHTNING...OR ABOUT
1 PER YEAR ON AVERAGE. WISCONSIN RANKS #16 OF ALL OF THE STATES
OF THE UNITED STATE IN LIGHTNING DEATHS. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING SURVIVE...HOWEVER THE LONG TERM AFFECTS OF BEING
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING CAN BE VERY SERIOUS AND QUITE PAINFUL.
IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE 25-YEAR PERIOD OF 1988-2012...AN AVERAGE
OF 48 PEOPLE DIED FROM LIGHTNING STRIKES EACH YEAR.
...LIGHTNING FACTS...
...LIGHTNING/S SPEED IS 90000 MILES PER SECOND /ONE HUNDRED
MILLION FEET PER SECOND/
...THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF A BOLT IS ONLY 1-2 INCHES
...OVER THE CONTINENTAL 48 STATES...AN AVERAGE OF 20 MILLION
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING FLASHES ARE DETECTED EACH YEAR.
...WHO SAYS LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE...IT HAS HIT ONE
PARTICULAR U.S. PARK RANGER SEVEN DIFFERENT TIMES.
...ONE QUICK WAY TO FIND OUT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND A
LIGHTNING STRIKE IS TO COUNT THE TIME BETWEEN SEEING A
LIGHTNING FLASH AND HEARING THE THUNDER. EVERY 5 SECONDS
OF TIME EQUALS ONE MILE OF DISTANCE.
NEVER TAKE CHANCES WITH LIGHTNING...IF A THUNDERSTORM THREATENS SEEK
SHELTER. WHEN THUNDER ROARS...GO INDOORS!
...LIGHTNING PROTECTION...
THE BEST PROTECTION FROM LIGHTING IS A STURDY STRUCTURE SUCH AS A
HOME OR BUSINESS OR A HARD-TOPPED VEHICLE WITH A STEEL FRAME. STAY
AWAY FROM METAL OBJECTS IN YOUR HOME. DO NOT USE THE PHONE OR OTHER
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. LIGHTNING IS
CAPABLE OF TRAVELING THROUGH POWER OR PHONE LINES...PLUMBING PIPES
AND EVEN THROUGH OPEN WINDOWS.
MOST LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT
OUTDOORS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN...GO TO A LOW LYING AREA
AND STAY AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES OR POLES. NEVER STAY
IN OR NEAR WATER AND GET OFF GOLF COURSES OR BALL FIELDS AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE.
IF YOU CAN FEEL YOUR HAIR STAND ON END...YOU HAVE WAITED TOO LONG
TO SEEK SHELTER...AND SQUATING WILL NOT PROVIDE ADDED PROTECTION.
...MEDICAL TREATMENT...
IF LIGHTNING DOES INJURE SOMEONE...THEY NEED PROMPT MEDICAL
ATTENTION. EVEN THOUGH A LIGHTNING VICTIM MAY BE BURNED THEY DO NOT
CARRY AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT...AND HELPING THEM WILL NOT INJURE YOU.
WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS BEEN STRUCK...THOSE THAT APPEAR LIFELESS
SHOULD BE TREATED FIRST.
ALWAYS MONITOR CURRENT AND FUTURE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND KEEP UP TO
DATE ON THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS VIA NOAA
WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS AND YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS.
FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION AND UP TO DATE FORECASTS
AND WARNINGS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT:
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