Lightning safety
From UA Sky School Wiki
Revision as of 15:49, 23 September 2015 by Pacifica S (Talk | contribs)
- If you hear thunder, call in to base if possible and get an updated forecast and make an exit plan
- Err on the side of caution - retreat back to campus if in your judgment the conditions are becoming dangerous. Better to do less fieldwork than have a serious injury.
- If you can't leave your field site, try to stay in safer areas - avoid ridgelines, don't hide under lone trees, and spread out your group. If you are in a forested area don't stand directly under a tree, even if it is raining.
- Have group members crouch down with as little contact to the ground as possible, and *keep their feet together* - up to half of all lightning fatalities are from ground current.
More information File:Lightning safety.pdf http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/resources/backcountry_lightning.pdf
Blog post on "lightning position:" https://biodiversitytheblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/what-is-lightning-position-anyway/
