...TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 18-22...
...TODAY/S TOPIC IS...PART 8...LIGHTNING...
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...LIGHTNING DANGER...
LIGHTNING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH
THUNDERSTORMS. LIGHTNING CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME OF DAY AND AT ANY TIME
OF THE YEAR SO YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS IT BRINGS.

REMEMBER...IF YOU HEAR THUNDER YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE AT RISK
FROM LIGHTNING.  THERE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED CASES OF LIGHTNING
STRIKING 20 MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. YOU DON/T NEED
A THUNDERSTORM OVERHEAD IN ORDER TO HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKE THE GROUND
NEARBY.

...LIGHTNING CHARACTERISTICS...
THUNDER IS ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHTNING.  THUNDER IS ACTUALLY A
SHOCK WAVE CREATED BY SUPER HEATED AIR...INSTANTLY WARMED BY THE
EXTREME HEAT FROM THE BOLT OF LIGHTNING.  THE TEMPERATURE OF A SINGLE
BOLT OF LIGHTNING CAN EXCEED 50000 DEGREES F...THAT/S THREE TIMES
HOTTER THAN THE SUN.

...LIGHTNING CASUALTIES...
MOST LIGHTNING RELATED CASUALTIES OCCUR DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS
AND DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.  IN WISCONSIN BETWEEN
1982 AND 2004...20 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY LIGHTNING...OR ABOUT
1 PER YEAR ON AVERAGE.  ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR PEOPLE WERE
INJURED BY LIGHTNING DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING SURVIVE...HOWEVER THE LONG TERM AFFECTS OF BEING STRUCK
BY LIGHTNING CAN BE VERY SERIOUS AND QUITE PAINFUL.

IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE 10-YEAR PERIOD OF 1994-2004...AN AVERAGE
OF 56 PEOPLE DIED FROM LIGHTNING STRIKES. 

...LIGHTNING FACTS...

     ...LIGHTNING/S SPEED IS 90000 MILES PER SECOND /ONE HUNDRED
        MILLION FEET PER SECOND/

     ...THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF A BOLT IS ONLY 1-2 INCHES

     ...OVER THE CONTINENTAL 48 STATES...AN AVERAGE OF 20 MILLION
        CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING FLASHES ARE DETECTED EACH YEAR.

     ...WHO SAYS LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE...IT HAS HIT ONE
        PARTICULAR U.S. PARK RANGER SEVEN DIFFERENT TIMES.

     ...ONE QUICK WAY TO FIND OUT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND A
        LIGHTNING STRIKE IS TO COUNT THE TIME BETWEEN SEEING A
        LIGHTNING FLASH AND HEARING THE THUNDER. EACH 5 SECONDS
        OF TIME EQUALS ONE MILE OF DISTANCE.

NEVER TAKE CHANCES WITH LIGHTNING..IF A THUNDERSTORM THREATENS SEEK
SHELTER.

...LIGHTNING PROTECTION...
THE BEST PROTECTION FROM LIGHTING IS A STURDY STRUCTURE SUCH AS A
HOME OR BUSINESS OR A HARD-TOPPED VEHICLE WITH A STEEL FRAME.  STAY
AWAY FROM METAL OBJECTS IN YOUR HOME.  DO NOT USE THE PHONE OR OTHER
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. LIGHTNING IS
CAPABLE OF TRAVELING THROUGH POWER OR PHONE LINES...PLUMBING PIPES
AND EVEN THROUGH OPEN WINDOWS.

MOST LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT
OUTDOORS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN GO TO A LOW LYING AREA
AND STAY AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES OR POLES.  NEVER STAY
IN OR NEAR WATER AND GET OFF GOLF COURSES OR BALL FIELDS AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU FEEL YOUR SKIN TINGLE OR YOUR HAIR STAND ON END LIGHTNING MAY
BE ABOUT TO STRIKE YOU...IMMEDIATELY SQUAT LOW TO THE GROUND ON THE
BALLS OF YOUR FEET. PLACE YOUR HANDS ON YOUR KNEES. MAKE YOURSELF THE
SMALLEST TARGET POSSIBLE. DO NOT LIE ON THE GROUND.

...MEDICAL TREATMENT...
IF LIGHTNING DOES INJURE SOMEONE...THEY NEED PROMPT MEDICAL
ATTENTION.  EVEN THOUGH A LIGHTNING VICTIM MAY BE BURNED THEY DO NOT
CARRY AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT...AND HELPING THEM WILL NOT INJURE YOU.
WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS BEEN STRUCK...THOSE THAT APPEAR LIFELESS
SHOULD BE TREATED FIRST.

ALWAYS MONITOR CURRENT AND FUTURE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND KEEP UP TO
DATE ON THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS VIA NOAA
WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS AND YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS.

FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION AND UP TO DATE FORECASTS
AND WARNINGS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT:

http://weather.gov/mkx
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KAPELA/KONOP