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Old 05-28-2015, 05:58 PM   #24
Civicsman
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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I haven't yet been able to find specific instances of people who were struck, or avoided being struck, while in the crouching "lightning safety position". Obviously, if they were not struck, it was a non-event and there is less likelihood of statistics.

Additionally, it is becoming apparent that the official position is changing to "There is no safe position when in the open. Run for a safe location!". One of the documents I linked to below indicates that the change is because some people apparently thought that the lightning safety position made you SAFE. This is not correct. It may make you safer than standing upright (or on a Seg), but not "safe". Lying prone on the ground is still specifically counseled against, as it makes one particularly vulnerable to the ground current of nearby strikes. (see below)

Of course, if you're in a dangerously exposed location, and not able escape, outrun, or shelter indoors from the storm, what are your best options? This was Lily's question, I think.

I admit that I haven't been able to find specific examples of people who were actually in the lightning safety position when they were struck. Based on a quick assessment of how and where people were struck, my > guess < is that most of them had no idea they were at risk, and hence took no safety precautions. Some were just too stupid. (See the photos of smiling people with their hair standing on end from high voltage static electric field)

For those who might be having difficulty in understand the science behind the crouching lightning safety position, here are some links that explain lightning ground current. The first link explains how ground currents work and includes provides safety tips. The second demonstrates how having your feet apart at a normal distance could put 50,000 Volts across your body. The third link is to a document about back country safety, where you might not be able to get to a safe location before the storm gets to you. The web pages explain exactly what advantages the crouching position has, and the science behind it. These include easy-to-understand graphics and photos.

If you're caught in the open, with no reasonable chance for getting to a real shelter, get off of your Seg because it's tall, and that's bad. Standing up can make you taller than the surrounding area. That's bad too. Crouch down so you're not the highest point. Curl into a ball to minimize the possibility of providing a launch point for "streamers" which reach up from the ground just prior to the strike. Keep feet close together, or touching, to minimize voltage across your body due to ground currents.



http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/...d_currents.htm

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/..._lightning.pdf

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/..._lightning.pdf
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