# Presentation: 947226

## 10th Symposium on Education

_*10th Symposium on Education*_
*      **(Albuquerque, NM  14-19 Jan 01) *

**Notes:**
Good morning.  I’m Bill Roeder, the chief staff meteorologist for45 WS.  We’re the Air Force unit that does weather support for the space program over in Florida.  We’ve got a lot of material to cover quickly today, and I know it’s early, so please don’t nod off.

To get started, let’s see a show of hands.  Who here is associated with a school that already has a lightning safety plan.  Quickly now,show of hands.  Pretty much ‘no response’.

That’s why I’m here today <CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE>, to encourage schools to implement their own lightning safety plans.

## Purpose

**Encourage Schools To Implement A Lightning Safety Plan!**

**Notes:**
(See ‘Transition’ From Title Slide)

## Overview

**  ****LIGHTNING -- SIGNIFICANT HAZARD!**
**  ****SCHOOL LIGHTNING HAZARDS**
**  ****LIGHTNING SAFETY GROUP  RECOMMENDATIONS**
**  ****CALL TO ACTION**

**Notes:**
In this briefing, I’ll establish that lightning is a significant hazard.

Show that schools are impacted by lightning hazards.

Then briefly touch on the recommendations from the Lightning Safety Group, which can be a good foundation for your lightning safety plans.

## Lightning -- Significant Hazard

**  ****LIGHTNING:  **_**The**_** Underrated Weather Hazard!**
**  ****#2 Storm Killer In U.S.**
**  ****More Than Tornadoes And****   Hurricanes Combined**
**  ****Life-Long Debilitating Injury****   On Many More Than It Kills**
**  ****Kills ~100 / Year And****   Injures ~ 1,000 / Year In U.S.**
**  ****$5 Billion Economic Impact****   Each Year In U.S.**
**  ****Yet Lightning Safety Receives**
**   ****Surprisingly Little Attention!**

**Notes:**
Lightning is the underrated weather hazard.  It is the #1 weather killer in FL, killing more than all other weather sources combined in this state.  Across the U.S., lightning is the #2 storm killer, killing more than tornadoes and hurricanes combined in this country.

But the real story of lightning safety isn’t the deaths, it’s the injuries.  Only about 10% of those who are struck by lightning are killed.  But many of those struck suffer life-long severe injury,often with injuries so severe they’re debilitated, they can’t work anymore.

Lightning also has a huge economic impact, to the tune of $5 Billion in the U.S. each year.
Despite these huge impacts, lightning safety has received surprisingly little attention.

Back-Up Info (don’t raise during briefing, use only if questioned):  You sometimes see different figures reported for lightning deaths and injuries.  There have been many different studies, which explains some of the differences.  But the biggest difference is the fuzziness in the data due toknown under-reporting, especially of injuries.  Sometimes the raw figures are reported, sometimes figures corrected for the under-counts are reported.  The figures here are my best estimate of the true corrected figures based on review of the literature.  The best experts in the field agree these figures are reasonable.

## School Lightning Hazards

**Lightning Casualties In U.S. (1959-1994)****(National Severe Storms Laboratory)**

**  *****School Activities Put Students At High Risk!***

***School Lightning Hazards***

**Notes:**
These are the activities that have the most lightning casualties associated with them in the U.S.  Casualties means both deaths and injuries combined.  When thunderstorms threaten, avoid these like your life depends on it -- it does!

#1 is being in open fields.  This includes sports fields.
#2 is going under tress to keep dry in a thunderstorm.  This one just boggles my mind.  In this day and age, we still have people doing this.  Let’s have a quick show of hands.  Who has heard don’t go under trees in a thunderstorm?  Of course!  You all have.  But people are still doing it.  I I two words for this -- STOP IT!  You’re just making targets or yourselves.  If people persist in this sort of behavior, I have some other words of wisdom from a recent popular TV show -- you are the weakest link, goodbye!
#3 is water related activities:  swimming, boating, and fishing.
Contrary to the stereotype, golfing is a distant 4th.
#5 on the list is a little surprising; outdoor open shelled farm and heavy equipment.
Finally, #6 is using the telephone, which is the #1 source of indoor lighting casualties.

## School Lightning Hazards (con’t.)

-   **Open Fields **(45%)
**  ****Sports Fields**
**  ****Playgrounds**
**  ****Recess Outdoors**
**  ****Marching Band**
**  ****Extra Concerns:**
**  ****Metal Bleachers!**
**  ****Long Metal Fences!**
**  ****Playground Equipment**

***School Lightning Hazards ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
Far and away most lightning casualties occur in open fields.  This obviously affects schools, since schools have a lot of activities in open areas, including sports, recess outside, now I’m a musician, so I have to include marching bands.  A lot of these places also have long metal fences and large metal bleachers, which compounds the problem.  You can be standing near a metal fence, and lightning strikes the fence even more than 100 yards away, and you can be shocked.

## School Lightning Hazards (con’t.)

**  ****Under Trees **(23%)
**  ****Potentially Any Outdoor Activity**

-    *Schools Activities Put Students At High Risk!*

***School Lightning Hazards ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
It’s amazing that being under trees is the second largest source of lightning casualties.  It boggles my mind, that in this day and age, people still go underneath trees to keep dry in a thunderstorm!  I have two words for that, “STOP IT!”.  This can affect schools because it can be teachers and students going under trees, unless they’re trained on lightning safety.

## School Lightning Hazards (con’t.)

** ****Water Related **(14%)
**  ****Swimming**
**  ****Indoor Pools Too!**
**  ****Boating**

-    *Schools Activities Put Students At High Risk!*

***School Lightning Hazards ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
Water related activities are the #3 source of lightning casualties.  Many schools have swimming programs, both in gym classes and swim teams.  Note that indoor pools are a hazard too.  Some schools even have boating programs.

## School Lightning Hazards (con’t.)

**  ****Golf **(6%)
**  ****Golf Teams**
**  ****Heavy Equipment **(5%)
**  ****Grounds Keepers**
**  ****Telephone **(4%)
**  ****Everyone!**

-    *Schools Activities Put Students At High Risk!*

***School Lightning Hazards ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
Some schools have golf teams; they need to know lightning safety.

And think about your grounds keepers.  They spend a lot of time out of doors, in open areas, especially if they’re in open vehicles like tractors.

And then there’s the telephone.  If I were to design the perfect lightning death machine, it’d be the telephone.  And of course at schools, there are a lot of people using phones, so everybody needs to know to keep off phones when thunderstorms are nearby.

## NO!

_**NO!**_

**  ****Don’t “Tough It Out”!**
**  **_**Do**_** Postpone Or Cancel Event**
**  ****Children’s Lives And****   Life-Long Crippling Injuries****   More Important Than A Game!**

**  ****Sports Have Fastest Rising Lightning Casualty Rate**

-    *Schools Activities Put Students At High Risk!*

***School Lightning Hazards ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
Sports are a special interest item for lightning safety since it is the activity with the fastest rising lightning casualty rate.  It is very important to not ‘tough it out’.  Do postpone and cancel events as appropriate.  Remember, the most frequent impact lightning has on people is life-long severe injuries.  This is a special tragedy if it happens to children, since they have that much more life to live.

## School Lightning Hazards (con’t.)

**Notes:**
Some school locations are at greater risk than others.  This is the most recent lightning climatology from Dr.Orville at Texas A&M.  Florida and the South-East and on through the Mid-West are at greatest risk.  But no place in the U.S. is totally safe from lightning.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations

**  ****LIGHTNING SAFETY GROUP**_** **_
**  ****16 Lightning Experts From Diverse Disciplines (Jan 98)**** **
**  ****Universities**
**  ****National Labs**
**  ****Operational Meteorology**
**  ****Medicine**
**  ****Industry**
**  ****Safety**
**  ****Insurance**
**  ****Education**
**  ****Athletics**** **
**  ****Goal:  Standardize Lightning Safety Advice**** **
**  ****Much Of Previous Advice Contradictory, Incomplete,****   Incorrect, Or Even **_**Unsafe**_**!**

**Notes:**
We’ve seen that lightning is a significant hazard that affects schools.  But what do you do about it?

The recommendations from the Lightning Safety Group are a good starting place to build your lightning safety plans.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  ****Safety Guidelines For . . .**
**  ****Safer And Unsafe Locations****   Near Thunderstorms**
**  ****Individuals**
**  ****Small Groups**
**  ****Large Groups**
**  ****Important Components Of An****   Action Plan**
**  ****First Aid For Lightning Victims**
**  ****NCAA Adopted Guidelines (1998)**
**  ****Brevard School District, FL (2001)**

**Notes:**
We published guidelines for six different areas, as listed here.  Unfortunately, time doesn’t permit going through these guidelines in full detail.  But they are listed in total in the preprint.  I’ve gone through these and picked out the parts that are most important for schools.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
The most important point is to adopt the attitude that no place, and I mean no place, is safe near a thunderstorm.  And by ‘near’, I mean several miles.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  ****Use ****‘30-30 Rule’**** To Determine If Lightning Is A Threat**
**  ****If **_**30 Secs Or Less**_** “Flash To Bang”, Seek Proper Shelter**
**  ****Back-Up Rule (if you can’t see the lightning):  ****        If You Can Hear Thunder, Seek Proper Shelter**
**  ****Wait **_**30 Min Or More**_** After Last Thunder,****   Before Leaving Proper Shelter**
**  ****Most Casualties Occur Before, And Especially After,****   Thunderstorms**
**  ****30-30 Rule May Seem Too Conservative -- **_**It’s Not**_**!**

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**Notes:**
How do you know if thunderstorms are close enough to be a danger?   Use the ‘30-30 Rule’.  When you see the lightning, count the time until you here the thunder.  If that’s 30 seconds or less, 
seek proper shelter.  Stay in the proper shelter, until 30 minutes or more have passed since hearing the last thunder.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**  ****People Don’t Realize The Long Distances Lightning Can Strike**
**  ****Average 3 NM Between Strikes**
**  ‘****Bolt From The Blue’ ~15 NM Not Uncommon**
**  ****Ground Strike ~60 NM Documented From Anvil****   (Rare Distance)**
**  ****People Don’t Realize The Long Times Lightning Can Strike****   After The Thunderstorm Has Decayed**
**  ****Ground Strike ~75 Min Documented From Debris Cloud**

**Notes:**
The ‘30-30 Rule’ is based on observed lightning behavior and observed patterns of lightning casualties.  Many people don’t realize the long distances lightning can strike, easily several miles outside the thunderstorm.  And most people don’t realize the long times electricity can linger in debris clouds, leading to one last lightning strike easily tens of minutes after the thunderstorm has dissipated.  The ‘30-30 Rule’ protects you against both of these.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**  ****Lightning Notification Services Are Better**
**  ****Uses National Lightning Detection Network Data**
**  ****Proven Performance**
**  ****Automatic Notification When Lightning ****   Within Various Distances Of Event Site / Time**
**  ****Automatic Notification When ‘All Clear’**
**  ****Notification Via Pager, Cell-Phone, E-mail, Or Fax**
**  ****~$10 Per Event, Or ~$40 Per Monthly Coverage, Or . . .**
**  ****Completely Objective -- Good For Lightning Safety Plans**
**  ****Doesn’t Warn Against Locally Developing Thunderstorms**
**  ****Need To Watch The Skies And React Appropriately**

**Notes:**
Some organizations use hand-held lightning detectors.  Unfortunately, their performance has not been independently and objectively verified.  But there is good anecdotal evidence that they miss weak and intermittent, but still deadly, lightning.
We recommend you use the ‘30-30 Rule’ and use hand-held lightning detectors at most as back-ups.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  **_**Seek Proper Shelter**_
**  ****Buildings Much Better****   Than Vehicles**
**  ****Vehicles Offer****   Some Safety**
**  ****No Place Outside****   Is Safe Near A****   Thunderstorm**
**  ****Near ******** 6 Miles   **

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**Notes:**
We talked about going to proper lightning shelters, but what constitutes a proper lightning shelter?  Of the resources most commonly available, a large fully enclosed substantially constructed building is your best bet, such as your typical house or school.  By substantially constructed, we mean it needs a lot of wiring and plumbing in the walls.

If a building isn’t available,a vehicle with a metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice.  Notice how I emphasize it’s the metal shell that protects you, not the rubber tires insulating you from the ground -- that’s a myth that just won’t die!

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  ****Telephone (corded)**
**  ****Electrical Appliances / Wiring**
**  ****TVs, VCRs, And TV Cables**
**  ****Computers**
**  ****Light Switches**
**  ****Electrical Outlets**
**  ****Plumbing**
**  ****Showers**
**  ****Sinks**
**  ****Rest Rooms**
**  ****Pools (indoors too)**
**  ****Don’t Watch Lightning****   From Windows / Doorways**
**  ****Inner Rooms Are Better**

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**Notes:**
Once inside your proper shelter, avoid contact with any conducting path leading outside.  That means:

	-  Don’t use the telephone

	-  Stay away from electrical appliances

Here’s one that’s not so obvious:

	-  Keep away from plumbing,	   this includes swimming pools,	   including indoor pools

For larger buildings,like schools, inner rooms are better.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

**  ****Pragmatic Concerns For Schools**
**  ****Lining-Up For School Buses Outside**
**  ****School Building Available As Shelter**
**   ****During Events?**
**  ****School Buses As Shelter****   At More Remote Events?**
**  ****Communicating Lightning Alerts****   To Noisy Crowds Of Kids**
**  ****Can They Hear It?**
**  ****Are They Trained On Required Actions?**

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**  ****	****	***Most Important Points For Schools*

**Notes:**
Some practical concerns for school safety plans . . .

Think about kids lining up to go outside to catch school buses home in the late in the afternoon, the peak of thunderstorm activity.  This could be a time of high risk.

When you have school events, is the building unlocked and available as a lightning shelter?

When you have school activities off-campus, think about using the school buses as lightning shelters.

If you’re going to issue lightning alerts, how do you communicate it to large crowds of noisy kids,such as during recess?  Are the kids trained on what to do in the first place, even if they hear the alert?

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the Lightning Safety Group Recommendations.  Again, the full details are in the paper in the preprint.  But we need to realize that no set of guidelines can give 100% absolutely guaranteed safety against  lightning.  Lightning is just too powerful and too random a phenomenon.  But these Recommendations will help avoid the vast majority of lightning casualties.

But since the guidelines aren’t perfect <CLICK ON NEXT SLIDE>, first-aid needs to be part of your lightning safety plans.

## ‘LSG’ Recommendations (con’t.)

***‘******LSG’ Recommendations ****(con’t.)*

**  ****First Aid For Lightning**
**  ****Call 911**
**  ****Apply CPR / Mouth To Mouth Resuscitation **
**  ****All Deaths From Cardiac Arrest / Stopped Breathing**
**  **_**Myth**_**:****  Lightning Victim Can Electrocute You**
**  ****90% Survive -- Give The First Aid!**
**  ****Beware Downed Live Wires! **

**  ****	****    *****Most Important Points For Schools***

**Notes:**
(See ‘Transition’ On Previous Slide)

First of all, call 9-1-1 to get professional help.

All lightning deaths are due to stopped heart or arrested breathing.  C-P-R and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is the recommended first aid.

Now sometimes it’s only an indirect lightning strike.  The person is shocked but after a few minutes they feel okay.  But they should still go to the emergency room in case there are hidden problems with their heart or breathing, which could cause problems later.

## Call To Action

**1)  Develop & Enforce A Lightning Safety Plan**
**  ****Protect Students And Staff Under Your Care**
**2)  In-School Education**
**  ****Help Your Students And Staff****   Protect Themselves Outside Of School**
**3)  Public Education**
**  ****Help Your Community Protect Itself**
**  ****Generate Support For School Plan**
**  ****Lightning Safety Group Recommendations ****   Can Help With All Three Steps**

_***SCHOOLS CAN HELP***_***!***

**Notes:**
Call to action.  This is why we’re here today.

Schools absolutely can help to improve lightning safety in the U.S.

First and foremost, schools must develop and enforce a lightning safety plan.  I submit that schools have a legal and moral responsibility to protect the students and staff under their care.

Secondly, schools can help their people learn personal lightning safety to protect themselves when outside the school’s plan.

Finally, schools can reduce lightning casualties nation-wide by educating their local communities.  And in so doing, you’ll probably generate support for your in-school lightning safety program.

The Lightning Safety Group Recommendations can help with all three of these steps.

## Call To Action (con’t.)

**  ****Involve Coaches, Referees, Other Outdoor Leaders****   From The Start**
**  ****Integrated Plan -- Span Many Activities **_**Uniformly**_
**  ****Have Support Materials Already Prepared**
**  ****Be Prepared For Slowdowns**
**  ****Persistence, Persistence, Persistence!**
**  ****Education, Education, Education!**

***Call To Action ****(con’t.)*

_***SOME CAVEATS***_

**Notes:**
Now I don’t want to paint an overly rosy picture.  By starting a lightning safety program at your schools, you’re going to be doing something new, and there’s always resistance to something new.  It’s vital to get management and outdoor leaders onboard from the very start.

Lightning safety is inconvenient.  You’re going to spend a lot off time indoors when the weather outside doesn’t look that bad.  Without leadership support, your lightning safety plan may be in danger.

Other standard aspects of project management, some of which are listed here, also apply.

## Call To Action (con’t.)

**  ****Lightning Not An Important Hazard**
**  ****#2 Storm Killer.  You Have Plans For Tornadoes & ****   Hurricanes, But Lightning Is A Bigger Hazard**
**  ****Nothing You Can Do About It -- ‘Random Act Of God’**
**  ****Almost All Casualties Preventable**
**  ****I Don’t Understand Lightning -- Pass The Buck Upward**
**  ****Be Well Prepared -- Any Error/Delay Used As Excuse**
**  ‘****LSG’ Recommendations From Top Experts**
**  ****Litigation Fears -- Better To Do Nothing,****	****	****                 Than Do Something And Fail**
**  ****New Trend:  Failure To Take Prudent Actions****	****	**** Is Chargeable Negligence**

***Call To Action ****(con’t.)*

_***SOME CAVEATS***_

**Notes:**
There also a set of common erroneous objections against lightning safety, some of which are listed here.  The biggest objection is fear of litigation.  In the past, the attitude frequently has been it’s better to do nothing than to do something that fails, then you get sued for taking inadequate action.  But a new growing trend has been that we’ve learned enough about lightning and lightning safety that failure to take prudent action that any reasonable person would, is negligence, and you can be sued for that.

## Call To Action (con’t.)

**  ****National Weather Service:****	****-  www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov**
**  ****National Severe Storms Laboratory:****	****-  www.nssl.noaa.gov/researchitems/lightning.html**
**  ****Downloadable Coloring Books**** On Weather Safety Topics**
**	****        ****-  www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/bm/bm_main.html**
**  ****Lightning Safety For Children****:  (aka Sabrina’s Lightning Page)****	****-  www.azstarnet.com/anubis/zaphome.htm**
**  ****Lightning Games****:****	****-  www.lrccable.com/lightning_games/index.html**
**  ****National Lightning Safety Institute:****	****-  www.lightningsafety.com/index.html**
**  ****Lightning Injury Research:****	****-  www.uic.edu/labs/lightninginjury**
**  ****Lightning Strike & Electric Shock Survivors International:****	****-  www.mindspring.com/~lightningstrike/**

***Call To Action ****(con’t.)*

**Notes:**
For those who want to do lighting safety, there are a lot of resources available to you.  To get started, here are my personal pick of the best-of-the-best of the lightning safety websites.  Note mine, featured highly prominently at the top   :-)

You don’t have to copy these down.  They are listed in the preprint, and I have handouts.

For those of you who teach children, note the ones in ‘green’, which are targeted specifically for children.

## Call To Action (con’t.)

***Call To Action ****(con’t.)*

**  ****Participate In 2nd Annual National Lightning Safety Week**
**  ****28 Apr - 4 May 02**
**  ****Sponsored By National Weather Service**

**Notes:**
It hasn’t been officially announced yet, nut the National Weather Service is planning a national lightning safety awareness week 18-22 Jun 2001.  That’s a bit late for schools, but maybe we can get them to move it up, or certainly try to do this earlier next year, since we hope to make this an annual event.

## Summary

**  ****Lightning Is Extremely Significant Hazard,****   But Far Too Often Underrated**
**  ****Lightning Safety Group Recommendations****   Can Help Schools Improve Their Lightning Safety**
**  ****Schools Must Play A Vital Role!**
**  ****Lightning Safety Plan**
**  ****In-School Education**
**  ****Public Education**

**Notes:**
In summary, lightning is an extremely significant hazard, but far too often underrated.

The recommendations from the Lightning Safety Group can help schools improve their lightning safety.

Bottom-Line:  Schools must play a vital in lightning safety.

## Lightning Safety

***Lightning Safety***

_**HANDOUTS**_**!**

**Notes:**
That concludes the briefing.
But before we open it up for questions, I need your help.  I want to spread the lightning safety for schools message as far and as wide as I can.  But I don’t know the education community.  What are the best education journals for this sort of weather safety information--school safety journals or school athletic journals?  Who are the best people / committees to contact?  I don’t know, please tell me.  My contact information is listed here.  But you don’t have to copy it down.  It’s in the preprint, I’m the corresponding author, or it’s also in the handouts here in the front.  Please help us, help you, by spreading the lightning safety message further.

And with that, let’s open it up for questions.
	.   .   .

That was the last question.  As a reminder <HIT ANY KEY>, we have handouts up front for you, brochures and magnets.

Let me leave you with this parting thought <NEXT SLIDE>

## Slide 30

**Notes:**
(See ‘Transition’ From Previous Slide)

When it comes to lightning safety, ‘Pessimism’ should be the rule!  <READING THE SMALL PRINT TO THE AUDIENCE>  “Every dark cloud has a silver lining, but lightning kills hundreds of people each year who are trying to find it!”   :-)