WASHINGTON — Five young lives have been ended by lightning in less than a week, a deadly reminder of one of summer’s leading hazards.
“Typically, July marks the peak in lightning activity. It’s also the time when people are vacationing, so they are outside and they are vulnerable to lightning,” said John Jensenius, a lightning safety expert at the National Weather Service.
But why so many young people in a few days? “I don’t have an answer for that,” Jensenius said. “It’s all very sad.”
Landon Dillard, 16, of Macon, Ga., was riding a bicycle at a summer camp in Colorado when he was struck down on July 3.
Two days later, 19-year-old Korey Moore of Swansea, S.C., was hit while riding a personal watercraft. The next day lightning claimed Stephanie Dawn Kirpes, 23, of Woodbridge, Va., as she jogged along the shore in Virginia Beach, Va.
And on July 7, two 16-year-olds were killed by lightning: Ben Richter on his family farm at Watertown, Wis., and Lucian Ellis of Sampson County, N.C., who was in a beach hut sheltering from a storm.
“In terms of safety, the most important thing for people to know is if the sky looks threatening or they hear thunder, they need to get inside a substantial building — one with wiring and plumbing — or a hard-topped metal vehicle immediately,” said Jensenius.
According to the Weather Service, a safe building has a roof, walls and floor, such as a home, a school, an office building or a shopping center. They provide safety because lightning will usually travel through the wiring or the plumbing into the ground. That means stay away from showers, sinks, hot tubs and electronics such as TVs, radios and computers.
Picnic shelters, carports, dugouts, sheds and other partially open or small structures are not safe, the agency says.
Finding a safe place is often easier said than done, of course, but Jensenius stresses caution, pointing out that lightning can reach miles from the cloud where it originates. Known as bolts from the blue, these strikes are not common but they have caused deaths.
Lightning experts warn campers and others who may be outdoors, far from a car or shelter, to stay away from tall objects like trees. Lightning tends to hit the highest thing around. And in an open field, that highest thing can mean a person.
The United States saw 45 lightning deaths last year and has seen 16 so far this year.
The National Weather Service’s advice for folks threatened by lightning when there is no safe building or automobile available:
Do not seek shelter under tall, isolated trees. The tree may help you stay dry but will significantly increase your risk of being struck by lightning.
Stay away from tall, isolated objects.
Know the weather patterns of the area. For example, in mountainous areas, thunderstorms typically develop in the early afternoon, so plan to hike early in the day and be down the mountain by noon.
Know the weather forecast. If there is a high chance of thunderstorms, curtail your outdoor activities.
Do not set up your campsite in an open field on the top of a hill or on a ridge top. Keep your site away from tall isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees. If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low area.
Wet ropes can make excellent conductors. If you see lightning while mountain climbing and can do so safely, remove unnecessary ropes extended or attached to you.
Stay away from metal objects, such as fences, poles and backpacks.
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