Lightning

[MuddyWaters]

" I wonder if Florida being #1 for strikes is due to all the boating activity?"
Not surprisingly, many people are walking on the beach or watching the cloud wall move in when they are struck. If the storm is over Saint Pete, with a 6 to 10 mile striking range, people on the beach are at risk and might not even know it.

Outdoor activities where you are tallest thing around like fishing, golf, boating contribute. Along with large population.

But , 7 out of 8 cities with most thunderstorms in US are in florida. Its thunderstorm central. Has something to do with it.

This says it all
visalia2.jpg
The most incredible lightning show i ever saw was at a lake i was fishing on in fla in hs. Storm ran me off water and i sat in truck. For 45 light rain min it crackled across sky, linked up with other streamers, etc. It was awesome from a safe place . Like scenes from movie. In 35 yrs ive never seen another like it.

[lonehiker]

The most incredible lightning show i ever saw was at a lake i was fishing on in fla in hs. Storm ran me off water and i sat in truck. For 45 light rain min it crackled across sky, linked up with other streamers, etc. It was awesome from a safe place . Like scenes from movie. In 35 yrs ive never seen another like it.

Relatively safe but not entirely.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weath...uring/17283636

[Offshore]

Man do I hate statistics, and I'm a data guy at work. I don't care what the "odds" are, if that 1 in whatever chance can kill me, I take it seriously. People can twist statistics for darn near anything, to downplay carrying bear spray for example, and even terrorism. I wonder if Florida being #1 for strikes is due to all the boating activity? I've been on a river a few times with lightning touching down as close as 100 yds, and it's pucker factor 10 when you realize you're one of the tallest objects on the water.

I do statistics and risk assessment for a living, but when it comes to certain things I take the approach that the only data point that counts is me.

[spfleisig]

I do statistics and risk assessment for a living, but when it comes to certain things I take the approach that the only data point that counts is me.

Now that's funny...

[perdidochas]

I'm glad this topic is getting some more attention. A friend of a friend was killed by lightning on a 14er climb some decades ago after taking shelter in the lee of a large boulder.

The areas described do not attract lightning. But a nearby strike will create very large ground currents, which can then arc across shallow, narrow openings. Those currents are why it's recommended to have only one point of contact with earth.

I heard somewhere that most lightning fatalities are men. Perhaps women have better sense to get out of the storm, and to not stand in the open door or under the eave and watch the show.

Men are just more outdoorsy and don't come in when it's about to rain. In terms of FL, men fish and play golf more.....

[Shaker]

I was at a shelter a few weeks ago that had a lightning rod on it. The strike probably wouldn't hurt you, but your eardrums might not survive.

[Tinstaafl]

If the lightning rod works as intended, you will never see a strike at that location. Their purpose is to bleed off the static charges before they get large enough for a strike.

But while on average they do that more often than not, that's only an average.

[blw2]

back in the 1980's I was with my dad fishing from his boat offshore a mile or two out. it was a 23ft boat with flying bridge and cabin under it. A storm overtook us, so dad was at the helm down in the cabin, while I stood at the door looking out onto the aft deck, visibility was near zero so we were just idling along, and rain spray from the deck was splashing up on my lower legs....

simultaneous flash bang, and everything went dead.

I felt a tingle up my legs and through my body much like you feel when licking a 9volt battery.
Everything in the boat was dead...radio was out...so we tossed out the anchor and waited for the cell to pass and someone to happen by. Everything seemed ok otherwise, so we figured the lightning hit near the boat and stray currents knocked out the electronics... Later we were towed to the dock.... when tying up someone pointed out that the top of the antenna was gone and what was left was blackened. Turns out that everything electrical in the boat that was switched on was literally melted... puddles of goo.

Anyway, the short point of the long story is that there is some truth, I think, in the idea that it could be dangerous standing at the door or near an open end of the shelter.

[cliffordbarnabus]

cancer, als, hodgkin's, parkinson's.........or.........lightning out in the woods. i'll take the latter (and maybe even climb a ladder to do so).

[MtDoraDave]

On vacation in Sanibel island back in the early 80's at the Reef Motel, after a day of too much sun, my mother had my brother and I at the bathroom alcove applying goop to our sunburns. It was afternoon, so the daily storm was doing its thing outside. For fresh air, mom had the front door and the sliding glass doors open so the breeze could blow through the room.
Simultaneous flash bang and a blue streak THROUGH the motel between the open doors.
.
.
.
...so close the back door to the shelter and you'll be fine.

[garlic08]

Men are just more outdoorsy and don't come in when it's about to rain. In terms of FL, men fish and play golf more.....

Yes I agree. I also think, and it may be sexist, that more men have outdoor jobs--utility workers, highway patrol, for example.

[MuddyWaters]

On vacation in Sanibel island back in the early 80's at the Reef Motel, after a day of too much sun, my mother had my brother and I at the bathroom alcove applying goop to our sunburns. It was afternoon, so the daily storm was doing its thing outside. For fresh air, mom had the front door and the sliding glass doors open so the breeze could blow through the room.
Simultaneous flash bang and a blue streak THROUGH the motel between the open doors.
.
.
.
...so close the back door to the shelter and you'll be fine.

Flash...bang. from lightning ...and we had a charred socket/tripped breaker on refrigerator 120 v power plug receptacle once. I was in kitchen when it happened. It looked like lightning struck that receptacle to me, there was flash IN the kitchen, from the window it seemed. This receptacle was at ht of counter backsplash receptacles, and totally behind the refrigerator out of sight, about 12" from edge. Refrigerator was undamaged and worked fine.

Nothing else in house damaged or sign of high voltage spike or another tripped breaker, etc. Tvs were on at time, etc. This was pre -gfci too.

I think lighning struck something, maybe range vent which extended thru roof outside, and then arced across kitchen to that receptacle. The window was closed.

[blw2]

that one reminds me of a coworker years ago who told me about getting struck inside his kitchen. As I recall, he said it jumped out of the wall phone (back when those things were wall mounted....with a wire)...it jumped out of the phone and from across the room knocked him down. Apparently it struck a tree or something outside near the driveway and traveled through the phone wire.

[TexasBob]

that one reminds me of a coworker years ago who told me about getting struck inside his kitchen. As I recall, he said it jumped out of the wall phone (back when those things were wall mounted....with a wire)...it jumped out of the phone and from across the room knocked him down. Apparently it struck a tree or something outside near the driveway and traveled through the phone wire.

Back in the day when all phones were wired landlines and most folks just had one phone, lightning melted my Grandmother's phone during a storm. Staying off the phone during thunderstorms used to be common advice back then.

[Night Train]

Ok, I'll bite........Don't become a conductor or a ground.

[Burrhead]

The scariest thing I have ever done while backpacking is riding out thunderstorms. It sucks but sometimes it becomes your only option.

[MuddyWaters]

Back in the day when all phones were wired landlines and most folks just had one phone, lightning melted my Grandmother's phone during a storm. Staying off the phone during thunderstorms used to be common advice back then.

Neighbors sons house recently struck i heard today. Struck tree, came down 30', could be seen on tree, jumped to phone wire, went into house and fried almost everything
Electrical. Tvs, ac system, refrigerator, etc. Home owners covers it but his son has been without ac for 2 weeks now.

[NY HIKER 50]

Here's my spin: you do not have to be hit directly. The air is also charged and if there is a discharge nearby you can still be killed.

[NY HIKER 50]

Oh, one other item. don't ever think a storm is moving away. You could have it turn back around like What has happened to me many times. You don't realize this but lightning can hit well away from a storm. I have seen this happen. I was at a shelter and the storm was way away and I figured it was ok to leave. BIG mistake since the lightning hit right behind the shelter and I heard the thunder rumble.

[peakbagger]

One thing a Wilderness Medical tech mentioned if that CPR is far more effective on electricians and folks who get hit by lighting. CPR is not very effective on old folks remote form a hospital. If folks are hiking in an exposed area they should obviously reduce their exposure but also get some distance from each other. If one person gets impacted by a strike the other person who wasnt can come back and start CPR.