Colorado Lightning Safety Awareness Week: Outdoor Lightning Safety

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors

Colorado Lightning Safety Awareness Week continues through Saturday. Yesterday we discussed the science of lightning. Today we will cover outdoor lightning safety.

Outdoors is the most dangerous place to be during a thunderstorm. Each year, many people in the United States are struck by lightning while working outside, at sporting events, on the beach, mountain climbing, fishing, mowing the lawn or during other outdoor activities. In 2013, 23 people in the United States were killed and many more were survivors of a lightning strike. All of those lightning fatalities occurred outdoors.

In Colorado, since 1959 there have been 141 documented lightning fatalities and hundreds of others who were injured by lightning. In 2013 there were no documented lightning fatalities in Colorado. However, 22 people within the state were struck by lightning while outdoors and all survived.


Read the full blog post written by the National Weather Service at READYColorado.com. 

Colorado Lightning Safety Awareness Week: The Science of Thunderstorms and Lightning

Colorado Lightning Safety Week continues through this Saturday. Today we discuss the science of lightning. 

Every thunderstorm produces lightning.  Lightning is a giant spark that moves within the cloud, between clouds, or between the cloud and the ground.  As lightning passes through the air...it heats the air rapidly to a temperature of about fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit.  This causes a rapid expansion of the air near the lightning channel.  This rapid expansion causes a shock wave that we hear as thunder. 

Read the full blog posting at READYColorado.com.  

When Thunder Roars Go Indoors: Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week

Thunderstorms produce some of the most dangerous weather on earth including tornadoes, flash floods, large hail and destructive straight-line winds. However, the most dangerous aspect of thunderstorms in Colorado is usually lightning.

Since 1980, lightning has killed and injured more people in Colorado than any other thunderstorm hazard with an average of three fatalities and 13 injuries each year. These numbers are probably higher as studies indicate that many lightning casualties, especially injuries, are not reported. In 2013, there were no documented lightning fatalities in Colorado. However, 22 people were struck by lightning within the state and all survived.

In addition to producing human casualties lightning also ignites most forest and rangeland fires in the centennial state. Many of these wildfires occur when lightning is generated from thunderstorms which produce little or no rainfall. This type of lightning is commonly referred to as dry lightning.

The safest thing for you to do if you are outside and lightning or thunder begins to occur is to immediately get inside a substantial building such as a house, a store or a church. A hard-topped vehicle such as a car or truck also offer excellent protection from lightning. Once inside a substantial building or hard topped vehicle keep all windows and doors closed and do not touch any metal inside the vehicle. It is then recommended that you wait at least 30 minutes from the last rumble of thunder before returning outside.

A recent lightning safety study has shown that 95 percent of the people who were struck by lightning while outdoors had a nearby substantial building or vehicle nearby. Remember, there is no safe place outdoors when lightning is occurring. Do not seek shelter under picnic shelters, dugouts, porches, tree, carports or tents. These types of structures are not safe when lightning is occurring.

Once inside a substantial building, stay off corded telephones and away from electrical appliances since the electrical discharge can travel along the telephone lines and electrical wires to produce fatal results. Stay away from water such as showers, tubs and sinks. Even indoor swimming pools are not safe when lightning is occurring. It is also recommended that you unplug sensitive electronics such as computers when lightning is expected to occur nearby.

The best defense to protect yourself against a lightning strike is to plan ahead and avoid being caught where you might be vulnerable. Check the weather forecasts prior to venturing out especially if you are heading into the mountains. Plan your outdoor activities for early in the day before thunderstorms typically develop. Stay tuned to NOAA all hazards weather radio and check the national weather service forecasts at www.weather.gov.

It is very important that all sports leagues and other outdoor groups have a lightning response plan that is understood and consistently applied for the safety of the participants. Part of the plan would include a designated weather watcher at each outdoor event with the authority to postpone or cancel the event due to the threat of lightning.

Remember, if thunderstorms threaten seek shelter in a substantial building or in an enclosed metal roof vehicle.

For more information on lightning safety please check out the web site www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

For more information about lightning in Colorado please go to the Colorado lightning resource webpage at www.weather.gov/pub/ltg.php.  

Understanding Severe Weather Watches and Warnings: Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week

The National Weather Service sees the potential for severe weather and a stream of weather information flows from the National Weather Service forecast offices to you.

Each National Weather Service forecast office has a web site, a facebook page and a twitter feed where you can find graphical weather stories which highlight upcoming weather hazards. The Hazardous Weather Outlook, a text product, it is also available which highlights weather hazards sometimes seven days in advance.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma also forecasts the chance for severe weather across the country several days in advance. These outlooks will tell you if there is a chance for severe weather and if you are in a slight risk, moderate risk or high risk area for severe weather.

If severe weather becomes likely within six hours a watch will be issued alerting you to the increased risk for severe weather. If you are in or close to the watch area you should plan where to go for shelter if severe weather occurs. If high wind is a threat tying down or bringing loose objects indoors would be a wise move. If large hail is a threat protecting your vehicle would be a good idea.

Then forecasters at the local National Weather Service office will monitor satellite and radar data and collaborate with severe weather spotters. Forecasters will issue warnings to alert you of the imminent severe weather threat. The warnings are sent out in many different ways in order to reach the most people possible.

A warning is an urgent message telling you that severe weather or flooding is imminent or is occurring. Warnings are usually issued for an area smaller than a county.

A severe thunderstorm warning is issued for wind gusts of 58 MPH or higher or for hail one inch in diameter or larger.

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is imminent or occurring.

A flash flood warning is issued for rapidly developing life threatening flooding.

Before and during severe weather you can receive watches, warnings and advisories on NOAA all hazards weather radio.

Most weather radio receivers have a built in tone alert which is activated by the national weather service when watches and warnings are issued. You will also see warnings on the internet, your smartphone with wireless emergency alert (WEA) messages or hear them on your local radio or television stations.

Do not be caught off guard. Know how to receive watch and warning information and know what to do when severe weather threatens. Specific safety information will be available each day of this Colorado Severe Weather Awareness Week.

This guest blog written by Tom Magnuson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Pueblo, Colorado.