It is therefore strongly recommended you do not venture out if thunderstorms are a possibility. Mariners are especially vulnerable because at times they may be unable to reach port quickly. If your boat doesn't have a cabin, stay as low as you can in the boat.īoaters should use extra caution when thunderstorm conditions exist and have a plan of escape. If your boat has a cabin, then stay inside and avoid touching metal or electrical devices. A lightning strike to a vessel can be catastrophic, especially if it results in a fire or loss of electronics. There are no specific warnings or advisories for lightning but all thunderstorms produce lightning. Thunderstorms can bring shifting and gusty winds, lightning, waterspouts, and torrential downpours which can turn a day's pleasure into a nightmare of distress. They can develop quickly and create dangerous wind and wave conditions. Thunderstorms can be a mariner's worst nightmare. The following is a safe boating message from the National Safe Boating Council and the National Weather Service. ![]() National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010.The following is a public service announcement for Safe Boating Week: Thursday Download Audio Download Video Journal of Environmental Health, 2005, pp. Struck-by-Lightning Deaths in the United States. Before you go on your trip, make sure you have some way to keeping touch with the NOAA Emergency Weather Broadcast Radio. For more information visit the NOAA lightning safety website or the National Lightning Safety Institute’s webpage for hikers. Crouch on the ground with your weight on the balls of the feet, your feet together, your head lowered and ears covered. People in groups should find shelter at least 100 feet away from one another. If you have any metal – a metal-frame pack or hiking poles – make sure they’re at least 100 feet away from you. Always avoid isolated trees or other tall objects. If suitable shelter isn’t nearby, seek protection in a valley or depression in the terrain. ![]() Partially open structures such as trail shelters, patios, open garages, tents, dugouts and sheds are not safe. A hard-topped vehicle is also a safe place. A safe building is one that is fully enclosed and has electricity and plumbing – a home, school, office building, etc. If you can hear thunder, you are in danger – even if the sky near you is blue. In mountainous areas, thunderstorms typically develop in the early afternoon, so plan to hike early in the day and be down the mountain by noon. If a storm is approaching, descend from ridges, peaks, and elevated areas. Be mindful of any storms in your area or conditions that are right for the development of thunderstorms. Check the weather forecast before you head outside. The following guidelines should help assure that your summer hiking season is a safe and enjoyable one. Each year about 300 people are struck by lightning, but only an average of 82 people per year have died from lighting strikes since 1959.* This number has been on the decline and in the past 5 years no more than 50 have died each year.** Hikers are at a greater risk of lighting exposure, since nearly all lightning-related deaths occur outdoors. But while it can be beautiful, lightning is among the deadliest natural phenomena on our planet – and summer, the most popular time for hiking, is the most active time of year for storms. Most of us have witnessed the awe-inspiring beauty of lightning shows: entire clouds illuminated by sudden discharges of electric current, with thunder echoing across the landscape. ![]() Click here for a printer-friendly PDF When lightning strikes, make sure you are out of the way.
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