Summer is here and with it comes the increasing threat of thunderstorms.
Florida’s dangerous thunderstorms are not to be taken lightly when outdoors. The bolts blast 50,000° Fahrenheit channels of electricity to the ground turning sand to glass.
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The dangers of lightning may be higher than you think. Over an average adult lifetime, you have a roughly one in 15,000 chance of being struck by lightning. The risk is higher for males who tend to be outside frequently during the summer.
Only about 25% of all the lightning in the sky is aimed at the ground on average, but it can strike the same spot twice.
While hurricanes and tornadoes garner many weather-related headlines, lightning on average kills 30 people each year in the United States.
Florida averages seven fatalities per year due to lightning, with many more injuries, and often leads the nation in lightning deaths.
Where was the U.S. lightning capital in 2021?
In 2021, lightning struck around the town of Geneva, Florida, 857 times, marking the highest location for lightning in Florida based on the Vaislia lightning detection network. The area northeast of Orlando saw a high percentage of strikes last year due to the prevailing southwest wind clashing with an east coast sea breeze. The storms that grew focused over Seminole County, about 100 miles south of Duval County.
Despite this being the most numerous in Florida the area was runner-up to 2021′s lightning capital of the United States title in Flatonia, Texas with 1043 strikes.
Unpredictable lightning
There is no accurate way yet to predict exactly where and when lightning will strike, but some instruments can measure the electrical charge in the atmosphere to warn of potential lightning activity.
The best way to stay safe is to watch the visual clues of building thunderstorm clouds and know where to go as soon as you hear thunder.
“When thunder roars, go indoors!” which is in a sturdy building that has electrical wiring and plumbing running through the walls. The second best place is in a vehicle with the windows rolled up, but it must have a metal frame and not be a convertible.
The frame offers protection, not the rubber tires so be sure to keep your arms away from the metal components.
Finally, wait 30 minutes to go outside after the last rumble of thunder.