Booklet

Ways Lightning Strikes People

Direct Strike - A person struck directly by lightning becomes a part of the main lightning discharge channel.

Side Flash Ground Current - A side flash (also called a side splash) occurs when lightning strikes a taller object near the victim and a portion of the current jumps from taller object to the victim.

Ground Current - When lightning strikes a tree or other object, much of the energy travels outward from the strike in and along the ground surface.

Contact Potential - While you're touching something, like a fence-post or a tree, lighting strikes that object and the current travels from the object through the point of contact into your body.

How to Avoid Getting Hit by Lightning

1. Avoid being out in any open areas like fields, golf courses, or parking lots. Here you are the tallest thing around, and the easiest target.
   
   
2. Squat low to the ground, and place your hands on your knees with your head between them.Do not lie flat on the ground!
   
   
3. 
   Stay away from forms of metal.
   
   
4. Don’t stand under tall objects like trees or towers

If someone is struck by lightning..,

1. He or she does not carry an electrical charge and can be handled safely.
   
   
2. Check for breathing and heartbeat. If breathing has stopped, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
   
   
3. If the victim is breathing and has a normal pulse, check for other signs of injury. Lightning victims often suffer severe burns in two places: where the lightning entered and where it exited the body.
   
   
4. If any abnormalities are evident, the victim may be admitted to the hospital for further diagnostic work-up and treatment.
   

*There is no danger in touching, holding or carrying a person struck by lightning.

Precautions against Lightning

A lightning flash, after traveling a distance about half a kilometer from clouds selects a closest conducting path to approach the earth before getting neutralized. Therefore, the tallest objects in a location are the best callers or supporters for a lightning flash on its way to the ground. In a natural environment, tall trees are the lightning-attracters. Otherwise conducting (metal) structures or objects (like communication towers, telephone and power supply lines and TV antenna) will attract the close by lightning flashes. In absence of such objects, the buildings in the location are vulnerable to direct hit of thunderbolts.

Life and Property

• Lightning flash is a quick discharge of extraordinary electric energy and it can cause damage to any object through which it flows towards the earth. Such a flash can cause loss of life and physical damage to human beings, animal and property.
  
  
• As mentioned earlier, lightning is a natural phenomenon and therefore it is difficult to stop it. But the hazards caused by lightning could be reduced with a number of precautionary measures.
  
  
• It has been noticed that a number of lives are lost in thunderstorms mainly due to the negative response of the people in launching precautionary steps that could be taken in order to reduce hazards.
  
  

Do you Know.. ?

Life Is safe inside an enclosed metal Object

• If you see dark clouds, then lightning could be present, but the best thing you can do is to listen for thunder.
• If you hear thunder, then you need to go indoors or get in a car.
• Please be aware of weather forecast regarding lightning and thunder storms issued by Department of Meteorology.