... Continuing severe weather awareness week for Texas... Oklahoma... Louisiana... and Arkansas... 

Today's topic is lightning safety...

There are an estimated 25 million cloud to ground lightning flashes each year.  While lightning can be fascinating to watch... it is also dangerous.  Most lightning caused deaths occur during the Spring and Summer months when the frequency of thunderstorms and outdoor activities peak. Lightning and thunder can occur even during snow storms. Meteorologists refer to it as "Thunder Snow"!

By definition... all thunderstorms produce lightning. During a
thunderstorm... each flash of cloud to ground lightning is a potential killer.  Although some victims are struck directly by the main lightning stroke... most are affected indirectly when lightning strikes nearby objects... and the electrical current moves through the ground.  Because these indirect strikes are weaker in intensity...most victims survive... though often with painful and lifelong effects.  While most people take some protective action during a thunderstorm... many unknowingly still leave themselves vulnerable.

Lightning can strike as far as 10+ miles away from the base of a thunderstorm... that is about the distance from a storm that you are able to hear its thunder.  If you can hear thunder... then you are close enough to be struck by lightning.


While looking at a personal Weather Station on the Weather Underground, click on the map, click on the severe weather icon on the right side of the page and you will see the lightning displayed on the map if there is any....It will give you the intensity, locations cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, and show you just how far the lightning is reaching out from the storm. 

Prepare you and you family now. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best!