Lightning Awareness Week - Tuesday

The National Weather Service has declared the week of June

24th through 28th LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK in Maine
and New Hampshire. This is the second in a series of five
public information statements to be issued by the National
Weather Service Office in Gray, Maine containing
information on lightning and lightning safety.

LIGHTNING'S MOST DEADLY ACTIVITIES

If you're outside when a thunderstorm is in the area,
you're at risk of being struck and potentially killed or
seriously injured by lightning. However, there are some
activities that lead to more lightning deaths and injuries
than others.
 
In the past twelve years, leisure activities led to almost
two thirds of the lightning fatalities in the United
States. Water-related activities, and particularly fishing,
contributed most to the fatalities. Since 2006, 38 people
who had been fishing died as a result of lightning.  
Boating and beach activities also contributed significantly
to the death toll. In most cases, victims simply waited
too long before starting to seek shelter.

When it comes to water-related activities, there are
several important things to remember.

  * Always have a plan so that you can get to a safe
    place before a thunderstorm arrives.

  * Head to that safe place immediately if you see any
    signs of a developing or approaching thunderstorm.  
    Don't hesitate!

Question of the day: If water activities are so dangerous,
why don't all the fish in a pond or lake get killed when
lightning strikes the water?

When lightning strikes water, most of the electrical energy
is discharged along the surface of the water. Since most
fish swim well below the water surface, they are safe.  
However, people normally swim along the surface of the
water and can easily be killed by a lightning discharge.

Here's a list of topics that were covered earlier this week or
will be covered later this week.

MONDAY - Lightning and Lightning Safety - An Introduction
TUESDAY - Lightning's Most Deadly Activities
WEDNESDAY - Lightning Safety and Sports Activities
THURSDAY - Lightning Safety At Work
FRIDAY -  Lightning Safety Around The Home

For additional information about lightning or lightning
safety, visit NOAA's Lightning Safety Awareness web site
at:

     https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning

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National Weather Service
Gray...Maine
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