000 NOUS42 KMLB 280847 PNSMLB PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 500 AM EDT THU JUN 28 2007 ...LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK JUNE 24TH THROUGH JUNE 30TH... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF JUNE 24TH THROUGH JUNE 30TH 2007 LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK. ...LIGHTNING SAFETY... SIMPLY PUT...THERE IS NO PLACE OUTDOORS THAT IS SAFE DURING A THUNDERSTORM. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ARE STRUCK WHILE WORKING OUTSIDE OR WHILE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ROUGHLY TEN PERCENT OF ALL LIGHTNING STRIKE VICTIMS ARE KILLED...AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 50 PEOPLE ANNUALLY SINCE 1994. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO SURVIVE BEING STRUCK SUFFER SERIOUS LONG TERM OR EVEN LIFE LONG DISABILITIES. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF ITS PARENT THUNDERSTORM. BY COMPARISON...MOST THUNDER IS INAUDIBLE BEYOND 5 MILES. THAT MEANS...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE WITHIN STRIKING RANGE OF THE STORM. YOU CAN MINIMIZE YOUR ODDS OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING BY USING SOME BASIC SAFETY RULES: PLAN AHEAD. THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR ALMOST DAILY ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA BETWEEN JUNE 1ST AND SEPTEMBER 30TH. ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY SHOULD INCLUDE A "LIGHTNING ACTION PLAN"...ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. DETERMINE WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SHELTER SHOULD A THUNDERSTORM THREATEN YOUR AREA...AS WELL AS HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET YOURSELF OR YOUR GROUP INTO THAT SHELTER. KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY. WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DEVELOPING OR APPROACHING STORMS...ESPECIALLY IF YOUR EVACUATION PLAN WILL REQUIRE SEVERAL MINUTES TO COMPLETE. KEEP A PORTABLE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ON HAND. A HAND-HELD LIGHTNING DETECTOR OR A PAGER SERVICE THAT NOTIFIES YOU OF LIGHTNING IN YOUR AREA CAN ASSIST IN YOUR DECISION PROCESS AS WELL. HOWEVER...IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. IF YOU SEE A STORM DEVELOPING NEARBY OR OVERHEAD...DO NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING TO TELL YOU TO EVACUATE. TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND EVACUATE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THE SKY LOOKS THREATENING...IF LIGHTNING IS SEEN...OR IF THUNDER IS HEARD. DO NOT LET COMMON PRACTICE OVERRIDE COMMON SENSE. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING SUCH AS A HOUSE OR A GYMNASIUM. IF A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING IS NOT AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN HARDTOP AUTOMOBILE. AVOID SHEDS...PICNIC SHELTERS AND PAVILIONS...BASEBALL DUGOUTS...AND BLEACHERS. REMAIN IN YOUR SHELTER FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST RUMBLE OF THUNDER IS HEARD. ONCE INDOORS...ADDITIONAL SAFETY RULES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED. IF LIGHTNING STRIKES A NEARBY POWERLINE...THE ELECTRICITY CAN EASILY FIND ITS WAY INTO YOUR HOME AND INJURE YOU. SUCH LINES ARE DESIGNED TO CARRY LARGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY GREAT DISTANCES. REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUCH AS COMPUTERS...HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES... AND CORDED TELEPHONES. THESE DEVICES PLUG DIRECTLY INTO ELECTRICAL SOCKETS...WHICH CONNECT TO OUTSIDE POWERLINES. CELL PHONES AND CORDLESS PHONES ARE SAFE TO USE...AS ARE REMOTE CONTROLLED DEVICES SUCH AS TELEVISIONS AND STEREOS. HOWEVER...KEEP AS MUCH DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET OR BASE UNIT. WATER IS AN EFFECTIVE CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY...SO STAY AWAY FROM INDOOR PLUMBING INCLUDING SINKS... TUBS...POOLS...JACUZZIS...AND SHOWERS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE IN A THUNDERSTORM AND NO SUITABLE SHELTER IS WITHIN CLOSE RANGE...DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM ANY ISOLATED TALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES OR POLES. IF YOU ARE IN A GROUP...SPREAD OUT...KEEPING AT LEAST 20 FEET BETWEEN EACH PERSON AND AT LEAST TWICE THE DISTANCE FROM A TALL OBJECT AS IT IS TALL. FOR EXAMPLE...KEEP AT LEAST 40 FEET FROM A TREE THAT IS 20 FEET TALL. AVOID METAL BLEACHERS AND WIRE FENCES. ASSUME THE LIGHTNING SAFETY CROUCH BY MAKING YOURSELF THE SMALLEST TARGET POSSIBLE WITH MINIMAL GROUND CONTACT: SQUAT ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET WITH YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR EARS AND YOUR HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES. DO NOT LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND! KEEP IN MIND THIS POSITION WILL NOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY...IT IS MERELY THE BEST POSITION TO TAKE IN A BAD SITUATION. RESORT TO THE "LIGHTNING CROUCH" ONLY IF THERE ARE NO OTHER VIABLE ALTERNATIVES! BOATERS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO LIGHTNING...NOT ONLY BECAUSE BOATS ARE THE TALLEST OBJECT AROUND...BUT BECAUSE EVACUATION TO SAFE HARBOR CAN TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN ON LAND. FURTHERMORE...WATER IS AN EXCELLENT CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY...SO PEOPLE CAN BE INJURED FROM A STRIKE EVEN IF IT HITS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AWAY. IF YOU ARE ON A LAKE OR NEAR A PORT AND THE SKY LOOKS THREATENING...CEASE ANY AND ALL WATER ACTIVITIES AND DOCK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IF CAUGHT IN A BOAT AND DOCKING IS NOT POSSIBLE BEFORE THE STORM HITS...CROUCH DOWN IN THE CENTER OF THE BOAT OR CABIN AWAY FROM METAL HARDWARE. DISCONNECT ANY MAJOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DURING THE STORM. IF POSSIBLE...LOWER...REMOVE OR TIE DOWN THE RADIO ANTENNA AND OTHER PROTRUDING DEVICES. FINALLY...USE THE "30/30 RULE" TO GREATLY LESSEN THE CHANCES OF BEING STRUCK. WHEN YOU SEE LIGHTNING...COUNT THE SECONDS UNTIL YOU HEAR THUNDER...THEN DIVIDE BY 5 TO GET THE STRIKE DISTANCE IN MILES. IF THE TIME IS 30 SECONDS OR LESS...THE THUNDERSTORM IS WITHIN 6 MILES OF YOUR LOCATION AND POSES A DISTINCT THREAT TO YOUR SAFETY. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. LIGHTNING REMAINS A THREAT EVEN AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED. WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST RUMBLE OF THUNDER BEFORE LEAVING YOUR SHELTER. DON'T BE FOOLED BY SUNSHINE OR BLUE SKY. ROUGHLY 10 PERCENT OF LIGHTNING OCCURS WITHOUT OVERHEAD CLOUDS. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING IS THE FIRST THUNDERSTORM HAZARD TO ARRIVE AND THE LAST TO LEAVE. FRIDAY'S LIGHTNING STATEMENT WILL INCLUDE SOME INTERESTING LIGHTNING FACTS...AS WELL AS SOME COMMON LIGHTNING MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING SAFETY...VISIT NOAA'S LIGHTNING SAFETY WEB SITE AT... HTTP://WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV OR THE LIGHTNING INFORMATION CENTER ON THE NWS MELBOURNE WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB/LTGCENTER/LTGMAIN.HTML FOR INFORMATION ON THE SCIENCE OF LIGHTNING...VISIT THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS LABORATORY WEB SITE AT: HTTP://WWW.NSSL.NOAA.GOV/PRIMER OR VISIT THE "JETSTREAM" ONLINE WEATHER SCHOOL AT: HTTP://WWW.SRH.WEATHER.GOV/SRH/JETSTREAM $$