Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Lightning Safety
New Mexico Wing Civil Air PatrolSafety Briefing
July 2015
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Lightning Safety
July-August weather includes numerous thunderstorms characterized by abundant lightning bolts and strikes
Lightning kills more Americans each year than tornadoes and hurricanes.
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
2 Colorado Lightning Deaths
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Friday Rebecca Teilhet, 42, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, was killed and seven more hikers were injured.
One day later and a few miles away, lightning killed Gregory Cardwell, 52, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Three others were hurt by that strike.
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
• Videos• http://youtu.be/BIv5HQzdY9I• http://youtu.be/1Pg6JQgjKnI
Lightning Safety
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
• Speed : 136,000 mph • Temperature: 30,000°C (54,000°F)
• Hot enough to fuse soil or sand into glass channels.
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Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
KINDS
• Streak lightning: ionized channel visible as a single wiggly line.
• Forked lightning: appears to have branches. • Bead lightning: small sections of the channel remain bright
longer than others. • Sheet lightning: general illumination occurring inside clouds. • Heat lightning: sheet lightning seen on the horizon, too far
away for its thunder to be heard and it often looks red. • Ball lightning: rare floating ball, grapefruit to bus size
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Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Types of Lightning
Sheet
Streak
Ball
Ball
Bead
Forked
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
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Elves 300K ft
150K ft
36K ft
Red Sprites
Blue Jets 70K ft
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
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Intra-Cloud
Cloud-Cloud
Cloud-Ground
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Intra-Cloud
Cloud-Cloud
Cloud-Ground
+ + + + + ++ + + +
- - - - - - - - -
+ + + + + +
+ + + +
- - - - - - - - - -- - -
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Lightning Danger
• Danger exists within 10 miles of a lightning storm (Thunder can be heard over only 3-4 miles.)
• Most often involved in outside work or recreational activities
• Odds of being killed:• Earthquake 1:11 million• Tornado 1:1 million• Lightning 1:600,000
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Intra-Cloud
Cloud-Cloud
Cloud-Ground
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
• Speed : 136,000 mph • Temperature: 30,000°C (54,000°F)
• Hot enough to fuse soil or sand into glass channels.
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Barbed wire fence
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
Lightning
• Speed : 136,000 mph • Temperature: 30,000°C (54,000°F)
• Hot enough to fuse soil or sand into glass channels.
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NM ranks 11-20
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Imminent Lightning Danger
• Darkening skies and wind
• If you hear thunder, you are in danger
• Look for lightning
• Hair begins to stand on end
• Buzzing noise in ears
• Drop to the ground!
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
Lightning Storm Outside – what to do?
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
• Direct -- i.e. Windows or doors, patio, decks• Electrical wiring, reception, plumbing• Concrete flooring or walls
Lightning entering a building
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
JULY SAFETY BRIEFING
• Move to the center rooms of your home• Don’t use connected electrical equipment such as
• Toaster• Computer• Corded phone**• TV
• Don't use tub, shower• Don't use washer/dryer
Lightning Storm Inside – what to do?
Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
LightningWeb resources
• http://www.weather.gov/om/brochures/ttl.pdf– Thunderstorms, Tornados, and Lightning
– U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
– National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
– National Weather Service
• http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/– “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!
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Joseph R. Perea, MD, LtCol, CAPNM Wing Director of Safety
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• Questions?
• Personal experiences?
Lightning Safety