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When lightning hits someone straight from the sky it is called a direct strike. These types are rare, only accounting for less than three-to-five percent of all lightning-strike victims.
About 90% of those hit by lightning survive, estimates one researcher. But many of these victims suffer some level of permanent neurological damage.
Here are precautions you can take to lower your risk of being struck:
No task at hand or project you're working on is worth risking your life. When foul weather strikes, play it safe. Get indoors. Avoid any pathways lightning can take to you. Just wait out the storm in safety.
About 90% of those hit by lightning survive, estimates one researcher. But many of these victims suffer some level of permanent neurological damage.
Here are precautions you can take to lower your risk of being struck:
- Get inside. About one third of all people injured by a lightning strike are indoors at the time they're hit. This means that you are almost twice as likely to be struck outside. “When thunder roars, go indoors,” advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Avoid water. Both metal piping and water itself are good conductors of electricity. To stay safe, do not wash dishes, bathe, shower or even wash your hands during a thunderstorm.
- Avoid electronics and electrical appliances. Lightning is electricity. All electronic and electrical devices carry electricity very efficiently. Stay away from electrical devices including televisions, entertainment systems, computers, home appliances and copiers. Even the tuning components of your radio or television can act as a pathway for lightning to reach you, and anything plugged into an outlet is a natural path for it to follow.
- Avoid traditional corded phones. Mobile phones and wireless handsets are generally regarded as being safe. But, if you have a traditional wired phone in your home or office, it's best to avoid using it during a storm.
- A roof does not a shelter make. Just because you're out of the rain, it doesn’t qualify you as being inside. Don’t stand on porches or in sheds during a storm. It's also best to avoid standing close to windows and doors.
- Avoid concrete floors and walls. The majority of concrete in the United States is reinforced with wire mesh and steel rebar, making it a magnet for any close strike that may occur. Never lay down on a concrete floor during a storm or lean against a concrete or block wall. If your only shelter is in a concrete structure, try to insulate yourself from the floor.
- Use surge protection. Surge protectors trip when hit with a predetermined amount of current. Installing a whole-house or whole-office surge protection system helps to protect your costly appliances and office equipment.
No task at hand or project you're working on is worth risking your life. When foul weather strikes, play it safe. Get indoors. Avoid any pathways lightning can take to you. Just wait out the storm in safety.
