Lightning Safety Week: June 19 - 25

Not only does June 21st mark the first day of Summer, it also begins the peak season for one of our nation's deadliest weather phenomena - lightning. Last year (2010), there were a total of 29 lightning related fatalities in the United States - one of which was Idahoan Michael Haslett, who was struck by lightning while herding cattle on his horse.

Hundreds people who are struck by lightning each year are left with a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including: memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, chronic pain, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression, and more.

The good news is: there are safety precautions that you and your family can take to stay safe during a lightning storm! The National Weather Service has provided the following Lightning Safety Tips:

Lightning: What You Need to Know

• NO PLACE outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area!!
• If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
• When you hear thunder, immediately move to safe shelter.
• Safe shelter is a substantial building or inside an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle.
• Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.

Indoor Lightning Safety Tips

• Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
• Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths, and faucets.
• Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
• Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.

Last Resort Outdoor Risk Reduction Tips

NO PLACE outside is safe when lightning is in the area, but if you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following actions may reduce your risk:

• Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
• NEVER lie flat on the ground
• NEVER use a tree for shelter
• NEVER use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
• Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
• Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)
• UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should ANY of the above actions be taken if a building or an all-metal vehicle is nearby.

If Someone Is Struck - CPR

• Victims do not carry an electrical charge and may need immediate medical attention.
• Monitor the victim and begin CPR or AED, if necessary.
• Call 911 for help.