Originally Posted by
wphamilton
Thanks for posting the pdf. I saw two points that can help us improve our chances:
The most common time of the day for lightning casualties is in the afternoon with more than half of these occurring between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. local time. This is the most common time due to the heating of the ground by the sun, which causes vertical cumulus clouds to form, that may be tall enough to produce lightning.
The more dangerous times for a severe lightning strike are before the storm appears and after it has passed
My injury occurred before the storm hit and the bolt appeared of nowhere.
Another tip: avoid tocuhing all electrical applications, power cords, and any plumbing fixtures during an electical storm. Even your chimney or house foundation can be an electrical path to avoid. The important point being is that "ground" is no longer ground in a conventional sense. I now just sit in the middle of the room and touch nothing but I hear lightning does not strike twice, so, I have that going for me.
If stuck outside and assuming shelter is unvailable, I would try to find a lower laying area away from any metal or tall objects. So, on a golf course for instance.....I go to the middle of the lowest nearby fairway......not under a dry tree although a metal enclosed portapotty.....scratch that. The smell is too much.
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/IEEE_Guide.pdf