Lightning Safety for Outdoor Adventure/Recreation Professionals
by Richard Kithil, National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI)

...treat lightning like a poisonous snake: if you see it or hear it, take evasive measures to ensure the safety of both yourself and your clients.

Some unexpected situations present extreme danger - an angry fer-de-lance, a Class VI rapid, crumbling cornices, and rotten rock. These all can be perilous events. There is no defense for lightning's "bolt-out-of-the-blue" occasional strike. But for the most part, lightning safety is a risk-management procedure. Early recognition of the lightning hazard, with an awareness of defensive options, will provide high levels of safety.

At any one time around the planet, there are some 2,000 thunderstorms and 100 lightning strikes to the Earth per second. The frequency of lightning increases in the lower latitudes (closer to the equator), and in the higher altitudes (mountainous terrain). In the United States, central Florida experiences some 10-15 lightning strikes per sq. km./yr. The Rocky Mountain west has about two-thirds this activity. Central Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and the Latin American mountain regions all can experience two to three times as much lightning as central Florida.

Lightning leaders from thunderclouds proceed in steps of tens of meters, electrifying ground-based objects as they approach the earth. Ground-based objects may launch lightning streamers to meet these leaders. Streamers may be heard (some say they "sound like bacon frying") and seen (we may notice our hair standing on end). A connecting leader-streamer results in a closed circuit cloud-to-ground lightning flash. Thunder accompanying it is the acoustic shock wave from the electrical discharge. Thus, thunder and lightning are associated with one another.

We all possess a first-class lightning detection device built into our heads as standard equipment. By referencing the time in seconds from seeing the lightning (the FLASH, or "F") to hearing the accompanying thunder (the BANG or "B"), we can range lightning's distance. A "F" to "B" of five seconds equals lightning distance being one mile away. A "F" to "B" of ten equals two miles; a "F" to "B" of twenty equals four miles, etc.

New information shows successive, sequential lightning strikes (distances from strike 1 to strike 2 to strike 3) can be some 6 to 8 miles apart, and in some cases, even further. Witness what happened to a competitor in a bike race in Vail, Colorado, in the summer of 1995: While riding among hundreds of other bicyclists, one rider was struck by a bolt of lightning which had traveled 45 miles to reach the ground. In this case, lightning was not visible in the sky. It was so far away that no one knew the danger existed. In most instances, taking immediate defensive action is recommended when thunder and lightning are either heard or seen. Remain in a reduced-activity mode for 30 minutes after the last observation of either thunder or lightning. If you hear thunder after 25 minutes, restart your clock. The next strike could be close enough to be an immediate and severe threat.

Lightning is a capricious and random event. It can not be predicted with any accuracy, and it cannot be prevented. Advanced planning in the form of a risk management protocol is the best defense for maximum safety.

The outdoor education and recreation environment (including adventure travel and eco-tourism) is different from situations where substantial buildings or fully enclosed metal vehicles are the recommended shelters. Lightning in remote terrain creates dangerous conditions. To be safe, consider following these guidelines:

AVOID: Water. Metallic Objects. High Ground (especially high ropes courses located in open areas!). Solitary High Trees. Close Contact With Others. Open Spaces. Contact With Dissimilar Objects, i.e. water and land; boat and land; rock and ground; tree and ground.

SEEK: Clumps of shrubs or trees of uniform height. ditches, trenches, and low ground. Seek a low crouching position with feet together and hands on ears to minimize hearing damage.

KEEP: A high level of safety awareness for thirty (30) minutes after last observing lightning or thunder.

In the event that someone is stuck by lightning, immediately administer CPR to restore breathing. Eighty percent (80%) of all lightning strike victims survive the shock. Lightning victims do not retain an electric charge and are safe to handle. Electrical burns should be treated like all other burns. In almost every case, you should seek professional medical attention for the injured.

Common Misconceptions and Myths Associated With Lightning

• Lightning Never Strikes Twice... it strikes the Empire State Building in New York City some 22-25 times per year, and recently, in West Chester, Ohio, 17 strikes were reported in the span of 30 days, causing 4 structural fires and completely demolishing one home - all on the same street!

• Rubber tires or a foam pad will insulate me from lightning... it takes about 10,000 volts to create a one-inch spark. Lightning has millions of volts and easily can jump 10 to 20 feet!

• Lightning rods will protect my ropes course... lightning rods are "preferential attachment points" for lightning. You do not want to "draw" lightning to any area with people nearby!

• We should get off the water when boating, canoeing, or sailing... if you are on the water and do not have enough time to get to shore safely, staying on the water may be your best bet. Tall isolated trees and rocky outcrops along shore and on nearby land may be more dangerous places!

• A cave is a safe place to be in a thunderstorm... if it is a shallow cave, or an old mine with metallic elements nearby, it can be a deadly location during lightning!