Chapter 20 : Lightning

Have you ever been struck by lightning (or had a close encounter of the first, second, or third kind) ? A. No B. Close enough for a good scare C. in a house or car that was hit D. Yes felt it (zap or tingling) E. Yes ouch

What is Lightning ?

The atmosphere normally has a voltage gradient of 100 volts/meter

which may sound like a lot, but what happens when you stand one meter from a 110 volt outlet ?

It takes about 1,000,000 volts/meter to cause a spark. Thats 10,000 volts per centimeter.

Who is most likely to be struck by lightning ? A. Zippy the pinhead B. Stan the round head C. Johnny Flathead D. Theyre all equally likely to be struck

(assume theyre all the same height and made out of the same stuff)

Who is most likely to be struck by lightning ? A. Zippy the pinhead B. Stan the round head C. Johnny Flathead D. Theyre all equally likely to be struck

(assume theyre all the same height and made out of the same stuff)

What causes electrical charges in clouds ?

What is Colorados most lethal weather phenomena in a typical year?

A. Floods B. Tornadoes & Hurricanes C. Chinook wind storms D. Lightning E. Avalanches & Blizzards

What is Colorados most lethal weather phenomena in a typical year?

A. Floods (on average) B. Tornadoes & Hurricanes C. Chinook wind storms D. Lightning (typically) E. Avalanches & Blizzards (sometimes)

Most fatal lightning strikes occur

(based on a study of 8 cases in Colorado)
A. With the first lightning strike in the area B. When lightning is increasing before the rain C. At the height of the storm (peak lightning and rain) D. After the rain ends and the storm is moving on E. With the last lightning strike in the area

Most fatal lightning strikes occur

(based on a study of 8 cases in Colorado)
A. With the first lightning strike in the area Whats this mean? You should anticipate lightning before it occurs in your area! Watch the skies clouds development and motion. When you hear thunder and lightning is nearby, the danger is already on top of you.

How does lightning kill ?

A. B. C. D. E. Severe burns Blast trauma (head injuries) External bleeding from wounds Internal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels Cardiac arrest (heart attack)

How does lightning kill ?

A. B. C. D. E. Severe burns Blast trauma (head injuries) External bleeding from wounds Internal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels Cardiac arrest (heart attack)

Get (or give) CPR !!!

CPR = CardioPulmonary Resuscitation

Unless you like people pounding on your chest and blowing air into your lungs, its better to avoid needing CPR. How do you avoid lightning ?

If youre outside and lightning is nearby, what is your BEST option? A. Hold up a stick as a lightning rod B. Get under a tree C. Run away from the storm as fast as you can D. Stand on a rubber mat or rubber shoes E. Get into a car

Now heres a smart idea

Who, me ????

No !

Thats not what I would do ! (try squatting in a thunderstorm for more than a few seconds).
Run like h*** to the closest relative shelter, even if it takes the duration of the storm to get there. Most of the time you wont be in contact with the ground. www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov

Sprites and Jets

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(ISS-lyn)