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NOUS42 KMLB 280847
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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
500 AM EDT THU JUN 28 2007

...LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK JUNE 24TH THROUGH JUNE 30TH...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF JUNE 24TH 
THROUGH JUNE 30TH 2007 LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK. 

...LIGHTNING SAFETY...

SIMPLY PUT...THERE IS NO PLACE OUTDOORS THAT IS SAFE DURING A 
THUNDERSTORM.  THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ARE 
STRUCK WHILE WORKING OUTSIDE OR WHILE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR 
ACTIVITIES.  ROUGHLY TEN PERCENT OF ALL LIGHTNING STRIKE VICTIMS ARE 
KILLED...AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 50 PEOPLE ANNUALLY SINCE 1994.  MOST OF 
THE PEOPLE WHO SURVIVE BEING STRUCK SUFFER SERIOUS LONG TERM OR EVEN 
LIFE LONG DISABILITIES.

LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF ITS 
PARENT THUNDERSTORM.  BY COMPARISON...MOST THUNDER IS INAUDIBLE 
BEYOND 5 MILES.  THAT MEANS...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE 
WITHIN STRIKING RANGE OF THE STORM.

YOU CAN MINIMIZE YOUR ODDS OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING BY USING 
SOME BASIC SAFETY RULES:

PLAN AHEAD.  THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR ALMOST DAILY ACROSS THE FLORIDA 
PENINSULA BETWEEN JUNE 1ST AND SEPTEMBER 30TH.  ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY 
SHOULD INCLUDE A "LIGHTNING ACTION PLAN"...ESPECIALLY DURING THE 
SUMMER MONTHS.  DETERMINE WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SHELTER SHOULD A 
THUNDERSTORM THREATEN YOUR AREA...AS WELL AS HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE 
TO GET YOURSELF OR YOUR GROUP INTO THAT SHELTER.  

KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY.  WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DEVELOPING OR 
APPROACHING STORMS...ESPECIALLY IF YOUR EVACUATION PLAN WILL REQUIRE 
SEVERAL MINUTES TO COMPLETE.  KEEP A PORTABLE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ON 
HAND.  A HAND-HELD LIGHTNING DETECTOR OR A PAGER SERVICE THAT 
NOTIFIES YOU OF LIGHTNING IN YOUR AREA CAN ASSIST IN YOUR DECISION 
PROCESS AS WELL.  

HOWEVER...IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 
YOUR OWN SAFETY.  IF YOU SEE A STORM DEVELOPING NEARBY OR 
OVERHEAD...DO NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING TO TELL YOU TO 
EVACUATE.  TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND EVACUATE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THE 
SKY LOOKS THREATENING...IF LIGHTNING IS SEEN...OR IF THUNDER IS 
HEARD.  DO NOT LET COMMON PRACTICE OVERRIDE COMMON SENSE.

SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING SUCH AS A HOUSE OR A 
GYMNASIUM.  IF A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING IS NOT AVAILABLE...SEEK 
SHELTER IN AN HARDTOP AUTOMOBILE. AVOID SHEDS...PICNIC SHELTERS AND 
PAVILIONS...BASEBALL DUGOUTS...AND BLEACHERS. REMAIN IN YOUR SHELTER 
FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST RUMBLE OF THUNDER IS HEARD.

ONCE INDOORS...ADDITIONAL SAFETY RULES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED.  IF 
LIGHTNING STRIKES A NEARBY POWERLINE...THE ELECTRICITY CAN EASILY 
FIND ITS WAY INTO YOUR HOME AND INJURE YOU.  SUCH LINES ARE DESIGNED 
TO CARRY LARGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY GREAT DISTANCES.  REFRAIN FROM 
USING ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUCH AS COMPUTERS...HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES... 
AND CORDED TELEPHONES.  THESE DEVICES PLUG DIRECTLY INTO ELECTRICAL 
SOCKETS...WHICH CONNECT TO OUTSIDE POWERLINES.  CELL PHONES AND 
CORDLESS PHONES ARE SAFE TO USE...AS ARE REMOTE CONTROLLED DEVICES 
SUCH AS TELEVISIONS AND STEREOS.  HOWEVER...KEEP AS MUCH DISTANCE 
BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET OR BASE UNIT.  WATER IS 
AN EFFECTIVE CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY...SO STAY AWAY FROM INDOOR 
PLUMBING INCLUDING SINKS... TUBS...POOLS...JACUZZIS...AND SHOWERS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE IN A THUNDERSTORM AND NO SUITABLE SHELTER 
IS WITHIN CLOSE RANGE...DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM ANY ISOLATED TALL 
OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES OR POLES.  IF YOU ARE IN A GROUP...SPREAD 
OUT...KEEPING AT LEAST 20 FEET BETWEEN EACH PERSON AND AT LEAST 
TWICE THE DISTANCE FROM A TALL OBJECT AS IT IS TALL.  FOR 
EXAMPLE...KEEP AT LEAST 40 FEET FROM A TREE THAT IS 20 FEET TALL.  
AVOID METAL BLEACHERS AND WIRE FENCES.  ASSUME THE LIGHTNING SAFETY 
CROUCH BY MAKING YOURSELF THE SMALLEST TARGET POSSIBLE WITH 
MINIMAL GROUND CONTACT:  SQUAT ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET WITH YOUR 
HANDS OVER YOUR EARS AND YOUR HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES.  DO NOT LIE 
FLAT ON THE GROUND! KEEP IN MIND THIS POSITION WILL NOT GUARANTEE 
YOUR SAFETY...IT IS MERELY THE BEST POSITION TO TAKE IN A BAD 
SITUATION.  RESORT TO THE "LIGHTNING CROUCH" ONLY IF THERE ARE NO 
OTHER VIABLE ALTERNATIVES! 

BOATERS ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO LIGHTNING...NOT ONLY BECAUSE 
BOATS ARE THE TALLEST OBJECT AROUND...BUT BECAUSE EVACUATION TO SAFE 
HARBOR CAN TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN ON LAND.  FURTHERMORE...WATER IS AN 
EXCELLENT CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY...SO PEOPLE CAN BE INJURED FROM A 
STRIKE EVEN IF IT HITS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AWAY.  IF YOU ARE ON A 
LAKE OR NEAR A PORT AND THE SKY LOOKS THREATENING...CEASE ANY AND 
ALL WATER ACTIVITIES AND DOCK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  IF CAUGHT IN 
A BOAT AND DOCKING IS NOT POSSIBLE BEFORE THE STORM HITS...CROUCH 
DOWN IN THE CENTER OF THE BOAT OR CABIN AWAY FROM METAL HARDWARE. 
DISCONNECT ANY MAJOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DURING THE STORM.  IF 
POSSIBLE...LOWER...REMOVE OR TIE DOWN THE RADIO ANTENNA AND OTHER 
PROTRUDING DEVICES.

FINALLY...USE THE "30/30 RULE" TO GREATLY LESSEN THE CHANCES OF 
BEING STRUCK.  WHEN YOU SEE LIGHTNING...COUNT THE SECONDS UNTIL YOU 
HEAR THUNDER...THEN DIVIDE BY 5 TO GET THE STRIKE DISTANCE IN 
MILES.  IF THE TIME IS 30 SECONDS OR LESS...THE THUNDERSTORM IS 
WITHIN 6 MILES OF YOUR LOCATION AND POSES A DISTINCT THREAT TO YOUR 
SAFETY.  SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. LIGHTNING REMAINS A THREAT EVEN 
AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED.  WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST 
RUMBLE OF THUNDER BEFORE LEAVING YOUR SHELTER.  DON'T BE FOOLED BY 
SUNSHINE OR BLUE SKY.  ROUGHLY 10 PERCENT OF LIGHTNING OCCURS 
WITHOUT OVERHEAD CLOUDS. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING IS THE FIRST 
THUNDERSTORM HAZARD TO ARRIVE AND THE LAST TO LEAVE. 

FRIDAY'S LIGHTNING STATEMENT WILL INCLUDE SOME INTERESTING LIGHTNING 
FACTS...AS WELL AS SOME COMMON LIGHTNING MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING SAFETY...VISIT 
NOAA'S LIGHTNING SAFETY WEB SITE AT...

HTTP://WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV

OR THE LIGHTNING INFORMATION CENTER ON THE NWS MELBOURNE WEBSITE:

HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MLB/LTGCENTER/LTGMAIN.HTML

FOR INFORMATION ON THE SCIENCE OF LIGHTNING...VISIT THE NATIONAL 
SEVERE STORMS LABORATORY WEB SITE AT:

HTTP://WWW.NSSL.NOAA.GOV/PRIMER

OR VISIT THE "JETSTREAM" ONLINE WEATHER SCHOOL AT:

HTTP://WWW.SRH.WEATHER.GOV/SRH/JETSTREAM

$$