In a storm, the most terrifying aspects are not the pitch-black sky, howling winds, thunderclaps, or the rain hitting your face, but the deadly lightning strikes hitting the ground. Below are expert tips if you find yourself alone during a thunderstorm.
In the Fields
Situations Vulnerable to Lightning Strikes: C
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| A car is a safe shelter during a storm. (Photo: BBC) |
arrying metal tools and standing near a tree.
First, to avoid the threat of a tree falling directly on you, keep your distance from tree trunks, especially solitary trees. The reality is that strong winds during heavy rain diminish the sheltering ability of trees, particularly when it pours. Furthermore, due to its height, a tree is likely to attract lightning. Since the human body has less electrical resistance than wood, we become better conductors for lightning to reach the ground. By standing away from trees, even when standing upright, the risk of attracting lightning is reduced by over 50 times.
However, danger still lurks. Farmers, with metal tools in hand, can inadvertently become targets for lightning. Thus, the best way to survive a storm in an open area like a field is to crouch down. Although it may be a bit dirty, you will face a lower risk of encountering lightning.
What If You Are Swimming
This is a dangerous situation! Lightning does not need to strike directly at someone swimming to make them a victim. The fact is that electrical currents from the sky do not dissipate immediately upon hitting the ground; they merely weaken in the ground environment. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Therefore, when lightning strikes the water, or the ground nearby, the current can easily travel to a person. Thus, one should not swim during a thunderstorm.
In a Car
A car is a safe shelter during a storm. Here, it acts similarly to a “Faraday cage” (the name of the scientist who first demonstrated that sheltering inside a metal structure is the best way to avoid lightning). If lightning strikes a car, the electrical charge will travel along the vehicle’s exterior without penetrating inside before reaching the ground. Since the metal exterior of the car conducts electricity much better than the air inside, the powerful electrical current from the lightning will be quickly directed to the ground. However, in this situation, people inside the car must not touch the radio or any other metal parts of the vehicle, and especially should not open the roof.
