Loss of consciousness, amnesia, paralysis, and burns are reported by many who have survived lightning strikes. Furthermore, deaths and injuries to livestock and other animals, thousands of forest and brush fires, as well as millions of dollars in damage to buildings, communications systems, power lines, and electrical systems are also the result of lightning. The purpose of this article is to educate Aquatic and Recreation facility managers and operators on the need to pre-plan for thunder and lightning storm emergencies and to educate their employees and patrons on basic safety and survival skills. The key ingredient that defines a thunderstorm is lightning. Since lightning creates thunder, a storm with lightning is called a thunderstorm.
Lightning causes thunder.
Therefore, anytime thunder can be heard, the danger of lightning is real, whether you can see it or not. Lightning is the visible vault of electrical ions from cloud to cloud, and cloud to earth. When storm clouds gather, violent air currents separate ever-present electrical charges. Lightning's compelling objective is to complete a path to the opposite charge in the cloud or earth. The path of a cloud to ground lightning strike is not completed by hitting the top of a house, building or tree, but must continue until it reaches earth.