000 NOUS42 KMLB 290933 PNSMLB PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 530 AM EDT FRI JUN 29 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. ...TOP TEN LIGHTNING MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS... 1) LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES THE SAME PLACE TWICE. FALSE. LIGHTNING CAN AND OFTEN DOES STRIKE TALL OBJECTS REPEATEDLY...SOMETIMES IN THE SAME STORM! FOR EXAMPLE...THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IN NEW YORK CITY IS STRUCK ABOUT TWO DOZEN TIMES EACH YEAR. WHILE NO PLACE OUTDOORS IS SAFE IN A LIGHTNING STORM...TALL OR ELEVATED OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES, BRIDGES, AND FLAG POLES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF BEING STRUCK. 2) I'M SAFE FROM LIGHTNING IN A CAR, MOTORCYCLE, OR GOLF CART BECAUSE THE RUBBER TIRES INSULATE ME. FALSE. ONE OF THE CLASSIC LIGHTNING MYTHS THAT REFUSES TO DIE. YES...RUBBER IS INDEED AN EFFECTIVE INSULATOR...FROM ELECTRICITY LEVELS THAT PEOPLE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS. MOST APPLIANCES RUN ON LESS THAN 10 AMPS OF ELECTRIC CHARGE, WITH THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD OUTLET DELIVERING 110 VOLTS OF ELECTRIC POTENTIAL. THE AVERAGE LIGHTNING STRIKE CARRIES 30 THOUSAND AMPS OF CHARGE, WITH 100 MILLION VOLTS OF POTENTIAL. FURTHERMORE, LIGHTNING HAS A TEMPERATURE ON THE ORDER OF 50,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT...ABOUT FIVE TIMES THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. FINALLY, ALL THIS ENERGY FLOWS THROUGH A CHANNEL THAT USUALLY IS NO BIGGER THAN A U.S. QUARTER. ENERGY DENSITIES ON THIS LEVEL ARE CAPABLE OF BURNING THROUGH ANY MAN-MADE INSULATOR. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE LIGHTNING HAS BLOWN HOLES IN CONCRETE WALLS AND FOUNDATIONS, EVEN BLASTED PIECES OFF OF CERAMIC INSULATORS ON POWER POLES. IN SHORT...INSULATION IS INEFFECTIVE. YOU SIMPLY WILL NOT STOP THE POWER SURGE OF A LIGHTNING BOLT WITH A COUPLE INCHES OF RUBBER. THIS INCLUDES RUBBER SOLED SHOES AS WELL AS RUBBER RAINCOATS. 3) LIGHTNING RODS WILL PROTECT ME FROM LIGHTNING. FALSE. A PROPERLY INSTALLED LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM WILL INDEED LESSEN THE CHANCES OF DAMAGE TO A BUILDING IN THE EVENT OF A DIRECT STRIKE. HOWEVER...THEY WILL NOT PREVENT LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING RODS ACTUALLY INCREASE THE ODDS OF A BUILDING BEING STRUCK BECAUSE THEY INCREASE THE BUILDING'S HEIGHT. WHAT THE SYSTEM DOES IS PROVIDE A PREFERRED PATH FOR THE ELECTRICITY TO FLOW SAFELY INTO THE GROUND AND AWAY FROM THE ELECTRICAL OR PLUMBING SYSTEM. IT'S WORKS SIMILARLY TO A FLOOD SPILLWAY. 4) A PERSON INJURED BY LIGHTNING CARRIES AN ELECTRIC CHARGE. FALSE. THE HUMAN BODY DOES NOT STORE ELECTRICITY. ANY PERSON KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BY A LIGHTNING BOLT IS IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION! IF THE PERSON IS NOT BREATHING, SIMPLE CPR CAN SAVE THEIR LIFE, THOUGH ANY CAREGIVER SHOULD TAKE MEASURES NOT TO GET STRUCK AS WELL. 5) A PERSON STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WILL BE KILLED INSTANTLY. FALSE. WHILE EXACT NUMBERS VARY, MORE THAN 80% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUCK SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER. IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND THEY APPEAR "DEAD", OFTEN THEY CAN BE REVIVED BY SIMPLE CPR. CALL 911 AND RENDER ANY ASSISTANCE POSSIBLE, BUT TAKE CARE NOT TO BE STRUCK YOURSELF. 6) CELL PHONES, RADIOS, AND METAL HAIRPIECES OR JEWELRY CAN ATTRACT LIGHTNING. FALSE. NOTHING "ATTRACTS" LIGHTNING...IT STRIKES WHEREVER IT'S CHANNEL LEADS IT. CERTAIN SUBSTANCES WILL CONDUCT THE ELECTRICITY MORE EFFICIENTLY AFTER IT STRIKES, BUT THOSE SUBSTANCES WILL NOT "DRAW" THE LIGHTNING TO YOU LIKE A MAGNET. 7) A SINGLE LIGHTNING BOLT COULD POWER A LARGE CITY FOR A MONTH. FALSE. MOST OF THE ENERGY IN A LIGHTNING BOLT IS CONVERTED TO THUNDER, HEAT, LIGHT, AND RADIO WAVES. FURTHERMORE...EVEN THOUGH LIGHTNING CARRIES A TERRIFIC ELECTRICAL PUNCH, IT'S DURATIONS USUALLY IS LESS THAN A SECOND WHICH GREATLY LIMITS IT'S TOTAL KILOWATT-HOURS. EVEN IF THE ENERGY COULD BE "CAPTURED", IT WOULD LIGHT A 100-WATT LIGHT BULB FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS. 8) IF I'M CAUGHT IN THE OPEN DURING A THUNDERSTORM, I SHOULD LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND. FALSE. WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES THE GROUND, IT'S CHARGE IS CAPABLE OF SPREADING OUT ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH IN A TENDRIL-LIKE PATTERN FOR MORE THAN 100 FEET. LYING FLAT ON THE GROUND ACTUALLY INCREASES YOUR CHANCES OF BEING STRUCK BY ONE OF THESE "TENDRILS". TO MINIMIZE YOUR RISK, YOU MUST MINIMIZE YOUR CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AS WELL AS YOUR HEIGHT. ASSUME THE "LIGHTNING CROUCH" BY CROUCHING DOWN ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET AND COVERING YOUR EARS. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS METHOD WILL NOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY AND SHOULD BE USED ONLY IF NO OTHER REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE IS AVAILABLE. BEST ADVICE: AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN THIS SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH. 9) LIGHTNING DOES NOT POSE A THREAT SO LONG AS IT IS NOT RAINING. FALSE. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF ITS PARENT THUNDERSTORM...EVEN IF THE SKY OVERHEAD IS FREE OF CLOUDS. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, BOLTS THAT STRIKE OUTSIDE THE PERIPHERY OF A THUNDERSTORM ARE OFTEN MANY TIMES STRONGER THAN BOLTS THAT OCCUR AT THE STORM'S PEAK AND THEREFORE ARE MORE LIKELY TO KILL. THERE ARE MANY CASES ON FILE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED BY LIGHTNING BOLTS WITH NO CLOUDS OVERHEAD. BY COMPARISON, MOST THUNDER IS INAUDIBLE BEYOND 5 MILES. THAT MEANS, IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER, YOU ARE WITHIN STRIKING RANGE OF THE STORM. WHEN THUNDER ROARS...GO INDOORS. 10) I'M SAFE SO LONG AS THE BOLT DOESN'T HIT ME. FALSE. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE INJURED OR KILLED BY LIGHTNING ARE NOT STRUCK BY THE BOLT DIRECTLY, BUT RATHER BY WHAT'S KNOWN AS A "SIDE-FLASH". THE BOLT MAY HIT A NEARBY OBJECT SUCH AS A TREE OR A VEHICLE AND THEN "JUMP" TO A PERSON STANDING NEARBY. PEOPLE STANDING ON METAL BLEACHERS OR NEAR A METAL FENCES CAN BE INJURED BY THE LIGHTNING AS THE ELECTRICITY TRAVELS THROUGH THE METAL. THE FLASH HEATING CAUSED BY THE LIGHTNING CAN SUPERHEAT THE MOISTURE INSIDE THE OBJECT THAT IS STRUCK, CAUSING IT TO LITERALLY "EXPLODE", PEPPERING BYSTANDERS WITH WOODEN OR CONCRETE "SHRAPNEL". EVEN THE THUNDER FROM A NEARBY STRIKE CAN DAMAGE A PERSON'S HEARING. 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 $$