National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

                 Lightning Kills: Play it Safe!

Lightning is one of nature's most awe inspiring and dangerous phenomenon. The average lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than three months! The temperature of a lightning bolt may reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit which is hotter than the surface of the sun!

 On average, lightning kills one person in Kansas and Missouri each year, and about 73 nationwide.  Lightning remains one of the most deadly weather phenomena in the United States, and it can occur almost anywhere throughout the entire year.

 Many people are injured or killed due to misinformation and inappropriate behavior during thunderstorms. A few simple precautions can reduce many of the dangers posed by lightning.  Remember, Lightning Kills, Play it Safe!

AVOID being in or near:

 High places and open fields, isolated trees, unprotected gazebos, rain or picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, communication towers, flagpoles, light poles, bleachers (metal or wood), metal fences, convertibles, golf carts, water (ocean, lakes, swimming pools, rivers, etc.).

When inside a building AVOID:

 Use of the telephone or computer, taking a shower, washing your hands, doing dishes, or any contact with conductive surfaces with exposure to the outside such as metal door or window frames, electrical wiring, telephone wiring, cable TV wiring, plumbing, etc.

 
If driving:

Stay in your car! An enclosed automobile offers reasonably good protection from lightning, as long as you don't touch metal.
 
Lightning is a year-round threat.  The National Weather Service will conducts its annual Lightning Safety Awareness Week from June 23-29, 2013. To learn more about lightning safety, and for additional resources for promoting lightning safety in your community, check out www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

Kansas and Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week
March 3-9, 2013