.....................LIGHTNING.....................

MAN HAS LONG MARVELED AT LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING IS SUBJECT TO

INDEPTH SCIENTIFIC STUDY. IN A WORD...LIGHTNING IS D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S!!

ANNUALLY LIGHTNING KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN TORNADOES AND HURRICANES

COMBINED.

LIGHTNING KILLS AROUND 100 AMERICANS PER YEAR AND INJURES ABOUT

250. PROPERTY LOSS IS ESTIMATED IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF

DOLLARS ANNUALLY.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT NEARLY 2000 THUNDERSTORMS

ARE IN PROGRESS OVER THE EARTH/S SURFACE AND LIGHTNING STRIKES THE

EARTH 100 TIMES EACH SECOND. THERE ARE AT LEAST 100,000 THUNDERSTORMS

ANNUALLY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

...................KENTUCKY LIGHTNING STATISTICS...................

NUMBER OF LIGHTNING DEATHS FROM 1959 - 1993..... 80

NUMBER OF LIGHTNING INJURIES FROM 1959 - 1993... 175

...................................................................

THERE WAS ONE LIGHTNING DEATH RECORDED ACROSS KENTUCKY IN 1993.

NATIONAL STATISTICS SHOW THAT MALES IN THEIR TEENS AND 20S ARE

THE MOST LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY LIGHTNING AND THAT MOST DEATHS OCCUR

IN OPEN FIELDS...NEAR OR UNDER TREES OR AROUND WATER. EIGHTY PERCENT

OF THE FATALITIES OCCUR BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 AM AND 7 PM LST.

LIGHTNING IS AN EFFECT OF ELECTRIFICATION WITHIN A THUNDERSTORM.

AS THE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS...INTERACTIONS OF CHARGED PARTICLES PRODUCE

AN INTENSE ELECTRICAL FIELD WITHIN THE CLOUD. A LARGE POSITIVE CHARGE

IS USUALLY CONCENTRATED IN THE FROZEN UPPER LAYERS OF THE CLOUD

...AND A LARGE NEGATIVE CHARGE WITH A SMALLER POSITIVE AREA IS FOUND IN

THE LOWER PORTIONS.

A LIGHTNING FLASH MAY BE TWO OR THREE HUNDRED FEET LONG. SOMETIMES

IT IS MUCH LONGER...AS MUCH AS 5 OR MORE MILES. THE FLASH LOOKS QUITE

WIDE...BUT MOST OF WHAT YOU SEE IS GLOWING AIR. THE FLASH ITSELF MAY BE

ONLY AS WIDE AS A PENCIL. IT IS VERY HOT. SOMETIMES TEMPERATURES REACH

30,000 DEGREES CELSIUS...THAT IS...FIVE TIMES HOTTER THAN THE SUN.

THUNDER IS THE SOUND LIGHTNING MAKES. THE LIGHTNING PUSHES THE AIR

FROM ITS PATH...EXPANDING IT QUICKLY. THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE NOISE THAT

WE CALL THUNDER.

ALL OF US MUST RESPECT LIGHTNING. IT IS DANGEROUS AND IT KILLS!

WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF IT...THOUGH...IF WE PROTECT OURSELVES

FROM LIGHTNING BY OBSERVING THE LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES.

...............LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES...............

WHEN A THUNDERSTORM THREATENS...GET INSIDE A HOME OR LARGE

BUILDING...OR INSIDE AN ALL-METAL...NOT CONVERTIBLE...VEHICLE.

INSIDE A HOME...AVOID USING THE TELEPHONE EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCIES.

IF OUTSIDE...WITH NO TIME TO REACH A SAFE BUILDING OR AN

AUTOMOBILE...FOLLOW THESE RULES...

DO NOT STAND UNDERNEATH A NATURAL LIGHTNING ROD SUCH AS A TALL...

ISOLATED TREE IN AN OPEN AREA.

AVOID PROJECTING ABOVE THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE...AS YOU WOULD

DO IF YOU WERE STANDING ON A HILLTOP...IN AN OPEN FIELD...ON THE

BEACH...OR FISHING FROM A SMALL BOAT.

GET OUT OF AND AWAY FROM OPEN WATER.

GET AWAY FROM TRACTORS AND OTHER METAL FARM EQUIPMENT.

GET OFF OF AND AWAY FROM MOTORCYCLES...SCOOTERS...GOLF CARTS...AND

BICYCLES.

PUT DOWN GOLF CLUBS.

STAY AWAY FROM WIRE FENCES...CLOTHESLINES...METAL PIPES...RAILS...AND

OTHER METALLIC PATHS WHICH COULD CARRY LIGHTNING TO YOU FROM SOME

DISTANCE AWAY.

AVOID STANDING IN SMALL ISOLATED SHEDS OR OTHER SMALL STRUCTURES IN

OPEN AREAS.

IN A FOREST...SEEK SHELTER IN A LOW AREA UNDER A THICK GROWTH OF SMALL

TREES. IN OPEN AREAS...GO TO A LOW PLACE SUCH AS A RAVINE OR VALLEY.

BE ALERT FOR FLASH FLOODS.

IF YOU ARE HOPELESSLY ISOLATED IN A LEVEL FIELD OR PRAIRIE AND YOU

FEEL YOUR HAIR STAND ON END...INDICATING LIGHTNING IS ABOUT TO

STRIKE...DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND BEND FORWARD...PUTTING YOUR HANDS ON

YOUR KNEES. D-O N-O-T LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND!!!