Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has proclaimed the week of March 1st through 7th as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arkansas.
During Severe Weather Awareness Week the National Weather Service is asking people to think about what they would do and where they would go when severe weather threatens.
There will be a particular subject discussed each day.
Monday- Severe Thunderstorms
Tuesday- Methods of Receiving Severe Weather Information
Wednesday- Tornadoes
Thursday- Lightning
Friday- Flash Floods
THURSDAY – LIGHTNING
Please take some time to review our emergency procedures for severe weather and see the information below from the National Weather Service Little Rock office.
LIGHTNING IS A HAZARD IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS…WHETHER THEY ARE SEVERE OR NOT. IN THE LAST 30 YEARS…LIGHTNING WAS THE THIRD DEADLIEST THUNDERSTORM HAZARD BEHIND FLASH FLOODS AND TORNADOES. THERE ARE AN AVERAGE OF 50 FATALITIES A YEAR DUE TO LIGHTNING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN ARKANSAS IN 2014…LIGHTNING WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 2 DEATHS AND 10 INJURIES.
MOST LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR IN THE SUMMER /JUNE…JULY AND AUGUST/ WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUTDOORS.
IF A PERSON IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING…THAT PERSONS BODY WILL NOT RETAIN ANY ELECTRICAL CHARGE. THUS…THE INJURED PERSON CAN AND SHOULD BE CARED FOR IMMEDIATELY.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE AS MUCH AS 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM CLOUD. GIVEN THIS…IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT MOST LIGHTNING DEATHS OCCUR AS A THUNDERSTORM IS APPROACHING OR MOVING AWAY…AND NOT NECESSARILY OVERHEAD.
LIGHTNING TENDS TO STRIKE TALL OBJECTS. THE AIR IS A POOR CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY…SO LIGHTNING WILL OFTEN GO THE SHORTEST DISTANCE TO MAKE A CONNECTION FROM CLOUD TO GROUND.
STATISTICS SHOW THAT ARKANSAS IS A TOP 10 STATE AS FAR AS LIGHTNING ACTIVITY. FROM 2004 THROUGH 2013…THE STATE WAS RANKED 6TH NATIONALLY FOR LIGHTNING STRIKES /MORE THAN 850000 CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING FLASHES PER YEAR/.
…SOME LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES…
REMEMBER…IT IS LIGHTNING THAT CAUSES THUNDER. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER…YOU ARE IN DANGER FROM LIGHTNING. GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY.
A HARD-TOP CAR IS ALSO A SAFE PLACE. KEEP THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND DO NOT TOUCH METAL INSIDE THE VEHICLE.
DO NOT TAKE SHELTER IN SMALL SHEDS OR UNDER ISOLATED TREES. STAY AWAY FROM HIGHER ELEVATIONS SPOTS SUCH AS HILLTOPS…AND AVOID NEARBY POLES AND TOWERS.
MOVE AWAY FROM CHAIN-LINK FENCES AND OTHER METAL FENCES SUCH AS THOSE AROUND BALLPARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
MOTORCYCLES…SCOOTERS…BICYCLES…AND FARM TRACTORS ARE NOT SAFE PLACES.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WATER…GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU ARE IN A BOAT…HEAD TOWARD SAFE HARBOR.
TELEPHONE LINES AND METAL PIPES CAN CONDUCT ELECTRICITY…SO DO NOT USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES OR CORDED PHONES. COMPUTERS AND OTHER EXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT MAY BE DAMAGED BY POWER SURGES. YOU MAY CONSIDER UNPLUGGING THESE ITEMS.
STAY OUT OF THE BATHTUB OR SHOWER.
GET OFF THE GOLF COURSE.
Information for the page provided by the National Weather Service.