In a huge tantrum, it beat its fists at my roof and lashed out at the walls. Its shrieking winds whipped through my plants and the sky darkened with its angry mood.
Thunder ripped across the sky and
lightning lashed down and around me.
It got me to thinking about lightning.
There was an excuse a younger me often used: “I can’t wash up! There’s a storm and I might get hit by lightning!” I don’t think I ever really believed it, but the slight amount of doubt was enough to let me get out of the job for a while longer.
And, then... it happened!
A man did get hit by lightning,
through his kitchen window,
while he was washing up!
I may never wash up in a storm again!
It was in the Blue Mountains. It was this year! (He was taken to hospital and I believe he is fine now.)
It seems that men are more likely to be hit by lightning than females. I guess that has something to do with females grabbing the washing and the kids and ducking inside before the storm hits. The men on the other hand, they have to finish that round of golf... or catch one more fish before the storm hits. This crazy bravery makes them four times more likely than females to be struck down.
("Demographics of U.S. Lightning Casualties and Damages from 1959 - 1994," by Ronald L. Holle and Raúl E. López of the National Severe Storms Laboratory and E. Brian Curran of the National Weather Service.)
Interestingly, the number of people being hit by lightning has decreased in my lifetime. It seems that we have better weather forecasts and are more likely to have early warning about the storms that bring the lightning. (That means that those golf club swinging men are really asking to be struck down!)
While I’ve always has a relatively high respect for lightning, I was never really afraid of being hit by a sudden bolt from the sky. I have more awareness now... and may tremble a little more during the next storm. Only flash floods and river floods cause more weather deaths than lightning strikes!
But then... if I am hit, I’d be unlucky to be among the 20% of people who die instantly... although... being hit can bring on a whole range of side effects, which may not be apparent immediately. Most lightning strikes leave deep burns where the lightning enters and leaves your body. This is usually on the head, neck and shoulders.
While I don’t know what a kilovolt is, it’s an impressive sounding word. I do know that electricians have to be careful – electric shock risks and all. So think this - most industrial electric shocks are 20 to 63 kilovolts, while a lightning strike delivers about 300 kilovolts. Nasty!
Look at these burns. 
Now I’m starting to think I need to be more careful when it comes to lightning. Maybe, I shouldn’t have sat outside and watched the storm this afternoon?
Apparently, there are more than 25 million
lightning strikes in the world every year.
So, I started to wonder...
what are the risks of being hit then?
One in 700 000.
Big number – doesn’t really mean much.
Perspective...
My town has about 22 000 people.
Consider my town being more than 30 times bigger...
I have one chance in all of those people of being struck by lightning (unless I’m a bloke on the golf course, swinging my golf club in a storm!)
I’m safe.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/essd18jun99_1/
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