National Weather Service encourages lightning safety

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The National Weather Service has declared June 19-25 as Lightning Safety Awareness Week.

While the last few months have seen most of Louisiana slip deeper into drought, history tells us that the central Gulf Coast - including southeast Louisiana - is one of the nation's true 'hot spots' for cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.

The map provided by Vaisala's National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) shows from 1997 to 2007 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were most prevalent along the Florida Peninsula in an area from near Orlando to Miami.

Falling just behind the Florida Peninsula in frequency of strikes, though, was the central Gulf Coast. Note the area shaded in deeper red extending from around Pensacola, FL to near Baton Rouge.

Long-term weather records and recent history back up the fact that lightning strikes are a big threat in our part of the world. Baton Rouge averages 72 days a year with thunderstorms. That's 1 in 5 days where lightning is noted in the Capital City. And unfortunately, the threat has proven to be all too real with three lightning fatalities in Baton Rouge in the last five years.

Ronnie Nye, 30, was struck by lightning on the LSU campus while practicing softball with a group of friends on July 6, 2006. Nye succumbed to his injuries the following morning.

Only three weeks later, Daniel Romero was struck while working on a roof and died shortly afterward.

And, just over a year ago, tragedy again struck in the Capital City when an 8-year-old boy was struck and killed while outdoors at a Memorial Day weekend family gathering. Reports indicate it wasn't raining at the time the boy was struck, demonstrating that lightning can strike even when the weather may not seem terribly threatening.

Statewide numbers show both Louisiana and Mississippi rank high in the number of lightning fatalities over the last 50-plus years. Weighted by population, Mississippi ranks No. 6 and Louisiana is No. 8 in the number of deaths.

Mississippi has seen 104 lightning fatalities since 1959, while Louisiana's total is at 139, including one in Shreveport on June 7 that occurred on a golf course.

Summer officially begins this week, but we know our 'outdoor' season is already well underway here in Sportsman's Paradise. Boating, fishing, swimming pools and golf are all popular this time of year.

The summer months also mark one of our peak times for lightning strikes along the Gulf Coast.  So, as you head outdoors to enjoy our warm weather, take the threat of lightning strikes seriously.

If you hear thunder, it's time to take a break and move things indoors. Lightning can strike from nearly 10 miles away, meaning a storm doesn't necessarily have to be overhead for a real threat to exist.

The National Weather Service makes it real easy for you, saying, "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!"

For much more on lightning safety and statistics, visit the National Weather Service's Lightning Safety page at:  http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

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