Playing It Safe – Lightning

by Peter Geiger | Monday, June 23rd, 2008 | From: Farmers' Almanac Blog

technorati Tags:
Lightning, Safety Tips, Fatalities, Storms

Here is an updated list of the lightning fatalities through June 21st. Based on 30-year averages, in the United States, about 1 person is killed by lightning every other day from now through the end of August. Sunday marked the start of Lightning Safety Awareness Week in the United States.

Here is a list and map of fatalities available on NOAA’s lightning Safety web site. While there will be a slight lag, especially over weekends, they try to keep the list as up to date as possible. A number of dangerous thunderstorms have hit New England this past weekend and they are common in most parts of the US. http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities.htm

How do you stay safe?? In 2006 a teenager was killed in Maine playing soccer. The sky was clear overhead but a stray bolt of lightning from a storm 10 miles away struck her. So, here are a couple links from our Farmers’ Almanac and FATV files. They discuss the severity of storms and ways to “play it safe”.

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/a/when-lightning-danger

http::/www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/a/lightning_kills_play_it_safe

Peter Geiger is the Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. Read his full biography here.

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Farmers' Almanac Long Range Weather

February 8th - February 11th

United States

Canada

Northeast U.S.
Wet snow mixed with rain Mid-Atlantic north through New England; slushy accumulations of 4+" possible.
Midwest/Great Lakes U.S.
Accumulating snows Kentucky, Ohio, then clearing. Fair elsewhere.
Southeast U.S.
Wet snow Tennessee, western North Carolina; wintry mix northern Mississippi, Alabama. Elsewhere, rain, then clearing.
North Central U.S.
Drier, much colder.
South Central U.S.
Snow parts of Arkansas, then clearing, cold. Clear, much colder elsewhere.
Northwest U.S.
Drier, but colder.
Southwest U.S.
Drier, but noticeably colder.