It used to be a cliche about something being as rare as "being struck by lightning." But surprisingly, there are several lightning strikes and deaths each year in the US.
Arizona averages 1.4 lightning deaths each year, having it's first of 2011 on July 12th when a Colorado high school teacher was killed while camping in Arizona. Nationwide there have been 15 lightning strike deaths this year.
To improve your odds, stay west of the Mississippi River since the majority of deaths happened east of the river. Be a female--11 of the 15 strikes were male. And avoid Florida, the number one state for lightning deaths and known as the lightning capital of the world, with 461 recorded deaths since 1959. The corridor from Tampa to Orlando has one of the highest in the world density of lightning strikes per year.
The National Weather Service offers the following safety tips during electrical storms.
• NO PLACE outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area!
• If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
• When you hear thunder, immediately move to safe shelter.
• Safe shelter is a substantial building or inside an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle.
• Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.
Indoor Lightning Safety Tips
• Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put
you in direct contact with electricity.
• Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths, and faucets.
• Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
• Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
Last Resort Outdoor Risk Reduction Tips
If you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following actions may reduce your risk:
• Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks
• NEVER lie flat on the ground
• NEVER use a tree for shelter
• NEVER use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
• Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
• Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)
• UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should ANY of the above actions be taken if a building or an all-metal vehicle is nearby
If Someone Is Struck
• Victims DO NOT carry an electrical charge and may need immediate medical attention.
• Monitor the victim and begin CPR or AED, if necessary.
• Call 911 for help.
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