Summer is the peak season for lightning strikes, one of the top three storm-related killers in the United States. On average over the past 50 years, at least one Kansan has died from a lightning strike, each year. Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 23 to 29, and is sponsored by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, and the American Red Cross. The week-long event is a nationwide effort to encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to avoid the dangers of lightning.
The most dangerous place to be in the event of a storm is outside. Seek shelter in a sturdy, closed building that contains a mechanism for conducting the electrical current from the point of contact to the ground. Avoid sheds, picnic shelters, bleachers, and open carports. If no enclosed building is accessible, seek shelter in a hard-topped, all-metal vehicle.
For more information about lightning safety awareness, visit the National Weather Service web page at: www.lightningsafety.
