Lightning

You may be astraphobia and not even know it ~ that is if you have a fear of being struck by lightning. Florida averages 12 million lightning strikes a year, and I don’t care that the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 12,000 ~ I don’t want to be that one statistic. That being said, I’m not sure if women are more apt to be astraphobia or just wiser than men, since men are six times more likely to be struck by lightning than women ~ I’m just sayin’… 😊 

Stay safe:

• Never shelter under a tree. If lightning strikes a tree, the charge can flow through the trunk and laterally strike individuals beneath it, or also spread through the ground.

•  Avoid hills, mountaintops or open areas as lightning tends to strike taller objects in an area.

•  When thunder roars, go indoors. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike. A hard-topped metal vehicle is an adequate alternative.

•  Lightning can travel 10 or more miles away from a parent thunderstorm and even strike in clear air far from any rain. These “bolts from the blue” are often more powerful and potent, since they originate from the positively charged top of a thunderstorm. These are among the most dangerous, since they can strike in otherwise tranquil conditions. That’s why experts recommend sheltering at the first sign of thunder, as that’s a sign that you’re close enough to be struck by lightning.

•  Lightning can strike even in blizzards. Thundersnow is real and it can be dangerous. On Jan. 25, 1990, lightning hit a light pole during a thundersnow storm in Crystal Lake, Ill., the charge traveled through the frozen ground and injured 11 people nearby shoveling snow or pushing stranded motorists.

•  Ninety percent of lightning-strike victims survive. There are an average of 30 lightning fatalities in the United States every year.

                                               Peace & Love