LIGHTNING, FACTS AND LORE

 

 

Lightning has fascinated man since the beginning of time. It can be beautiful, intriguing, frightening…and deadly all at the same time.

Perhaps the most famous person who was fascinated by this random act of nature that can strike at anytime and anywhere was Benjamin Franklin. We remember him as the curious one who flew a kite during an electrical storm to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. Contrary to popular belief, the kite was probably not struck by lightning or he would have been electrocuted. Rather, the kite picked up ambient electrical charge from the storm.

The mystery of lightning started long before Ben’s years. In early times, lightning was considered the “magic fire in the sky.” It was thought that men captured it to keep warm at night and to keep savage animals away.

Early Greeks believed that lightning was a weapon of Zeus and thunderbolts were invented by Athena, goddess of wisdom. Since lightning was a manifestation of the gods, any spot that was struck by it was considered sacred. They built their temples there where gods were worshipped to appease them.

The Navajo Indians hold that lightning has great power in healing rituals. Thus, lightning became part of myths, superstitions and early religion.

 

WHAT LIGHTNING IS. Lightning is a powerful electrical charge made during a thunderstorm. Electric current makes air really hot and the suddenly heated air expands quickly which causes thunder.

 

There are three kinds; cloud to cloud, cloud to air and cloud to ground. Obviously, the cloud to ground is the most concerning to us and the most dangerous.

 

DANGERS OF LIGHTNING. It is a force of nature not to be reckoned with. It can strike when a storm is still 15 to 25 miles away from where it is actually storming. Since light travels faster than sound, lightning can be present even if you don’t hear thunder. You can actually calculate how far away a storm is by counting the time lapse between seeing lightning and hearing thunder. Every five-second lapse equals a mile to the storm. As soon as you count a 30-second lapse, it’s time to head inside and stay there until you hear the last clap of thunder.

 

LIGHTNING FACTS AND MYTHS. The National Weather Service estimates that lightning kills an average of 70 people each year in the United States and injures at least 300. Although only ten percent of those struck die, others have long term injuries. So, it pays to separate lightning facts from myths.

*Although many believe that lightning only strikes a place once, it can strike the same place many times. It is estimated that the Empire State building in New York is hit 100 times each year.

*If you can’t get to a building during a storm, a vehicle is a safe place to go if it has a metal top and sides and the windows and doors are closed. Say what, we always thought that it was the rubber tires that offered protection! Nope, instead it is the metal frame that conducts the current away from the surface of the vehicle to the ground. Just be sure and don’t touch any metal parts.

*If outside do not lie flat on the ground since electrical current runs along the ground. Get low and make as little of contact with the ground as possible. This means squat low, try to touch the ground with only your toes, tuck your head between your knees and wrap your hands around your knees.

*Open structures like bleachers, picnic shelters, carports, gazebos and golf carts are not safe at all. Lightning strikes tall structures like trees, towers and utility poles. Large trees are one of the worst places to take shelter under, not only for their height which attracts lightning, but also because when lightning strikes a tree there is a ground charge that will spread from the tree in all directions. Being under a tree is the second leading cause of lightning deaths.

 

*Heat lightning that occurs on hot summer nights is still real lightning. It is just too far away for thunder to be heard.

 

*It bears repeating to stay away from all metal, including poles, fences and golf clubs. When lightning strikes a fence even a long distance away, the metal can conduct electricity and still electrocute you.

 

*Stay away from other people since current can travel from person to person. This is the same principle why you don’t touch someone who is in contact with a live electrical wire. However, it is safe to touch and help a person who has been struck by lightning because the human body does not store electricity. Many lightning victims have perished because bystanders were afraid to touch them.

*Wearing metal like jewelry does not attract lightning. Instead, it is height, pointy shapes and isolation that are attracting factors.

*Power lines, telephone lines and metal pipes are conductors for electrical currents caused by lightning. Do not talk on the phone or take a bath or shower during electrical storms. Be sure to unplug computers, televisions and other appliances.

*Surge protectors protect appliances and utility lines from power surges, not appliances against lightning. To protect against lightning, surge protectors must be combined with a total system of lightning rods and proper grounding.

*On the subject of lightning rods, they are not lightning magnets, but rather they provide a path for lightning to safely reach the ground and discharge. They help reduce the buildup of opposing charges by bleeding off the buildup of stationary energy. It is like putting a hole in a balloon to release the pressure before it pops. Many homes don’t have lightning rods any longer but I insisted on putting mine back up after I had my roof redone for this very reason.

Lightning is one of the more intriguing aspects of our weather. There is such a thing as dark lightning. You don’t feel it but passengers on aircraft are bombarded with gamma rays from it all the time.

Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela receives the most lightning strikes of anywhere on earth. Big thunderstorms occur between 140 to 160 nights out of the year with up to 28 strikes per minute and storms lasting up to 10 hours at a time.

Closer to home, Florida records the most deaths from lightning. The National Weather Service has dubbed the area between Tampa Bay and Titusville as “lightning alley.”

Lightning has a mystique to it that elicits our wonder and curiosity. Many folks love to watch a storm, it “electrifies” them in some way…pardon the pun. Just remember, it is best to watch from afar and under cover.