So as you may have heard, June 23rd marked lightning safety week in the United States. And you may think as I did, I know what I need to know: “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!” I quickly changed my mind. My interest lies first in that I have little children and second that my husband has taken up Jet Ski fishing. That prompted me to research safety. New findings on Lightning Safety for 2013 struck a cord. Let me share my findings with you.
Highlights on Lightning Safety
- The summer months of June, July and August are the most deadly seeing 70% lightning deaths with the weekend being worse than the week days.
- The majority of victims were male aged 10 to 60.
- In the United States, an average of 53 people are killed each year by lightning; hundreds more being severely injured.
- In last 7 years, more fishermen have been killed than golfers by lightning strikes. The number is also greater for camping, soccer, beach activities, just to name a few.
What to Do?
Apparently the common (and often deadly) mistake is starting for shelter too late. The remedy is to postpone or cancel outdoor activities if we expect a thunderstorm. If we’re outside already then watch the sky, and remember that anytime we hear thunder we are already within striking distance!
Additional Lightning Safety statistics
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To date, there have been 7 fatalities in 2013
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From 2006-2012 ~ 238 people have been killed in the U.S., with more than 3x’s as many fishermen as golfers and almost 2x’s as many boaters and campers then golfers. Even soccer saw a greater number of deaths (12) as compared to golf (8). Doing yard work around the house accounted for 12 deaths.
(Source: lightningsafetynoaa.gov:)
Let’s keep Lightning Safe and enjoy our summer! 🙂
And if you’re into all things “safety”, you may find it handy to have a Master Household Maintenance Checklist to reference.
P.S. I’d like to hear of any crazy weather stories you’d like to share.
