A Bolt From the Blue : Statistically, at Least, Southland Is One of Safest Areas From Lightning
When Lightning Strikes
Lightning strikes the ground about 17 million times a year in the U.S. Although chances of being struck are about 1 in 600,000, the chances are probably higher in densely populated areas. Injuries and deaths from lightning strikes in California are much lower than other states.
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Injuries
Total injuries from lightning strikes from 1959- 1993:
Top five states and California:
Florida: 1,039
Michigan: 594
Pennsylvania: 494
North Carolina: 462
New York: 424
California: 57
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Deaths
Total deaths from lightning strikes from 1959-1993:
Top five states and California:
Flordia: 337
North Carolina: 165
Texas: 158
New York: 124
Tennessee: 122
California: 21
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Tips
* If outdoors, move indoors during an electrical storm. Lightning can strike with rain or without. Do not use the telephone.
* Avoid open spaces
* Do not stand under trees.
* Being in an auto is safer than being outside it- a vehicle struck by lightning insulates the passenger.
* If lightning is in the area, you may feel the sensation of your hair standing on end, which is indicative of an electrical field forming around you. In this situation, crouch to the ground with feet close together.
* Stay out of wet areas.
* Don’t huddle in a ditch or other depression that may fill with water during a storm.
Source: National Weather Service, Western Regional Climate Center
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