HOW TO SURVIVE A LIGHTNING STRIKE

According to the NOAA, if we rank natural disaster by number of deaths, lightning strikes come second fter floods, with an annual of 51 casualties per year along the last 20 years..

Also, studies have shown that 9% to 10% of those being struck by a lightning end up dead which is unfortunately a scary number!

And when knowing that the earth is struck by more than 100 lightning bolts every second, this will make it even scarier!

In the US, you have one chance of 3,000 to get hit by a lightning in the span of your lifetime! Knowing what to do, and how to react is something that you should really learn!

1- Places You’re Most Likely to Be Struck by Lightning in the U.S.

First of all you should know that not all places are alike to get hit by a lightning! Based on data from the NOAA, these are the top ten states to get struck by a lightning:

#10 Tennessee

#9 Colorado

#8 Ohio

#7 North Carolina

#6 Texas

#5 Arkansas

#4 Alabama

#3 Mississippi

#2 Louisiana

#1 Florida

Another fact is that most of lightning deaths occurred to people outdoor doing leisure activities. This with a peak on weekends, and during summer months of June, July, and August.

The top activities that you are most likely to be struck by lightning are fishing, camping, and boating. Also soccer, at the beach, fanning, riding a bike or a motorcycle, social gathering, yard work, and walking outside are on the list!

So if you are in Florida or Louisiana on June, avoid to go fishing or camping when the weather is not clear!

2- How to Survive a Lightning Strike

Unfortunately you are not a like guy or woman, you went outside for a hang out or any other activity, and suddenly it got cloudy and lightning started, what would you do then?

Obviously the best solution is to get inside till the storm pass, but if you are in an open space with no place to hide, then here are some valuable tips to follow:

-Don’t lie down because an electrical current from a nearby lightning strike can pass through your body.

-Lightnings usually strike the tallest objects, so make sure you are not that target simply by taking a sitting position on your toes.

Also make sure to keep your feet close together with your heels touching. In case you got hit by a lightning, this will make the electricity go in from one foot and out the other without running through your whole body and hurting your vital organs.

-The balls of your feet should be the only part of you touching the ground. The less surface is in contact with the ground the less the chance of electricity entering your body.

-Lightning can be extremely loud, so make sure to cover your ears with your hands to protect yourself from hearing loss.

-Don’t touch any conductors nearby.

-Seek shelter in your car if it’s near you. Cars are made to protect what’s inside it from electrical current. The lightning current will pass around it instead of getting through it.

-If you know a storm is approaching seek shelter immediately.

-Avoid tall objects at a thunderstorm. Don’t hide under trees.

-Don’t hide in places that have no mechanism to conduct the electrical current to the ground such as sheds.

-Lighting current travels through telephone wires and any other metallic wire or plumbing pipes.

So avoid using your landline phones or taking a shower during a thunderstorm. Also don’t get close to all devices connected to electricity.

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