Lighting Facts

3/11/2021 (Permalink)

Lightning around north topsail beach

Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related fatalities. Though the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are only around 1 in 500,000, some factors can put you at greater risk for being struck.

Here are a few lightning safety tips:

• Be aware. Check the forecast before participating in outdoor activities. If it calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity, or make sure adequate safe shelter is available.
• Go indoors. Remember the phrase, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Find a safe enclosed shelter when you hear thunder. Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.
• Avoid windows, doors, porches and concrete. Do not lie on concrete floors and avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lighting can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
• Avoid water. Do not bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing.