Wired for the Worst: Watch the skies
By Sally McGinty
As summer storms return to central Wisconsin, emergency officials are urging residents to take lightning seriously before outdoor plans turn dangerous.
National Lightning Safety Awareness Week runs June 21-27, and June 23 has been designated Wisconsin Lightning Safety Awareness Day. The national observance was created in 2001 to draw attention to lightning as an often-underestimated weather hazard.
The safety message has made a difference. Since Lightning Safety Awareness Week began, annual U.S. lightning deaths have dropped from about 55 per year to fewer than 30, a decline officials attribute largely to better public awareness and quicker action when storms threaten.
Still, the risk remains real. The National Lightning Safety Council reports hundreds of lightning fatalities in the United States since 2006, including 12 in Wisconsin.
Many fatal strikes occur during everyday outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, camping, farming, beachgoing and yard work — activities that are common across Portage County during the summer months.
Portage County averages about 35 thunderstorm days each year, with peak thunderstorm activity typically occurring from June through August, when warm, humid conditions can fuel frequent lightning.
Lightning safety begins before the storm arrives. Anyone planning outdoor activities should check the forecast and reconsider plans if thunderstorms are possible. If storms are in the area, identify the nearest safe shelter and know whether you will need to leave if no adequate shelter is nearby.
Weather and lightning-alert apps can also help by warning users when lightning is detected nearby. They are especially useful for people who spend long periods outdoors or are responsible for the safety of others.
A simple rule remains the most important one: if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to be dangerous. Thunder is the sound produced by the rapid heating and expansion of air around a lightning flash.
There is no safe place outside during a thunderstorm. Avoid tall objects such as trees, power poles and light poles; wide-open areas such as golf courses and sports fields; open or partially covered structures such as patios, picnic shelters and carports; and open vehicles such as convertibles, tractors and lawnmowers.
Going indoors reduces the danger, but it does not eliminate every risk. During a thunderstorm, stay away from windows, plumbing, plugged-in appliances and concrete floors.
Lightning can enter a structure through a direct strike, through pipes or wires that extend outside the building, or through the ground.
That is why the old advice to stay out of the shower during a thunderstorm still applies.
A lightning strike can travel through a home’s plumbing, making showers, baths and other water-related activities unsafe. Even homes with plastic pipes are not risk-free because water can conduct electricity.
Washing dishes, washing hands or using sinks during a thunderstorm should also be avoided until the storm has passed.
About 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year. While the odds of being struck in any given year are less than one in a million, lightning strikes can cause death, serious injury and long-term health effects. Nearly 90% of people struck by lightning survive, but many survivors face lasting consequences.
One of the most common mistakes is waiting too long to seek shelter — or returning outside too soon after the storm appears to be over.
Remember the 30-30 rule: If 30 seconds or less pass between seeing lightning and hearing thunder, seek shelter immediately. After the last clap of thunder or flash of lightning, wait at least 30 minutes before going back outdoors.
The safest approach is also the simplest: when thunder roars, go indoors — and stay there until the danger has passed.