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Lighting is not much of a worry in terms of physcal danger. It's kind of like shark bites, something a lot of people worry about but rarely happens. However, your appliances do have to worry about, so stay away from them and keep delicate stuff unplugged (or surge protects, including phone and internet cables!) unplugged. If your outdoors in a thunderstorm take some basic precautions. Get off the mountain and the ridge. Ridges attract more lighting than mountain tops because the larger area on them allows a bigger static charge to be built up (the cause of lightening). Once your down somewhere safe just don't stand under tall trees or by metal things. Otherwise you should be pretty safe.
posted
Lightning is generally harmless so long as you spell its name correctly. But call it "lightening" just once, and you could be in big trouble. Kudos to you. You're safe.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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The drama in real life this month was a group of climbers who got hit by lightning. If you're climbing in the Tetons, and a storm is brewing, and you've decide to summit at 2 in the afternoon, you are in great danger.
Posts: 377 | Registered: May 1999
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Lightning is hazardous...more so than most people think. In terms of odds, let's relate it to plane crashes...you're more likely to be struck by lightning twice than ever be in a plane crash.
The vast majority of people hit by lightning survive, but the majority of the survivors also report permanent injuries. CPR saves quite a few lightning victims, because breathing and heartbeat often stop as a result. (CT, do you know anything in this area?)
Ok, I'm a connoisseur of lightning. I take lightning photos (it's one of my hobbies). Tonight, we had some decent storms here in KC, but I didn't try taking any photos (too much rain, and not a weatherproof camera ). One of the bolts definitely hit less than a half mile away.
I dunno about the shark analogy. How often do sharks visit Kansas? Go inside when you hear thunder or see lightning, and you should be safe.
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I believe the current world record for being struck by lightning is still the park ranger who was hit seven times and survived all seven. However, when his woman left him (I wonder why?) he shot himself in the head.
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Go inside when you hear thunder or see lightning, and you should be safe. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
