If you feel hairs on your head, leg, or arms tingling and/or standing on end, it means you're in an extremely high electrical field. Most of the people that were struck were either near water or near/under trees. Keep in mind that this position should only be used as a last resort.Ī recent study analyzing lightning victims in Florida found that most people were struck either prior to the storm (rain) reaching their location, or after the storm (rain) had ended. By keeping the surface area of your body in contact with the ground to a minimum you reduce the threat of electricity traveling across the ground from affecting you. Cover your ears, and don't allow other body parts to touch the ground. * Adopt the lightning position as a last resort: Crouch down on the balls of your feet and keep them as close together as possible. * If you can't immediately get below tree line, find the lowest point of open area and move there quickly. Also, avoid any other objects that are higher than the rest of the terrain around you. * Avoid solitary trees – they're one of the most dangerous places to be during a storm. If you're out in the open or above tree line: * Drop all metal objects during a storm, such as internal or external frame backpacks, trekking poles (including aluminum and carbon fiber), crampons, jewelry, etc., and move 100 feet away from them. A thick forest is far better than a lone tree or a small group of trees. * With no other options, take shelter under a group of shorter trees among larger trees. * Get away from water, and avoid any low spots that might accumulate rain run-off. Spread out at least 50 feet apart in order to minimize the chance of everyone in a group being struck. * Avoid caves as they can channel electricity fairly well. * Avoid buildings with exposed openings such as backcountry camping shelters or picnic pavilions - these are not safe. If you do get caught by a storm, and you're below tree line, here are a few things that you can do to improve your safety: Miles the lighting strike is away from you. To measure the distance between you and a lightning strike, count the number of seconds between the time you see a flash and the bang of thunder. Therefore, if you hear thunder, you're already within striking range of a storm and should seek shelter immediately. So, what can you do if you're out hiking and a storm approaches? The first thing you need to understand is that lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the center of a thunderstorm - well beyond the audible range of thunder. There are probably several reasons for this, including a muchīetter understanding of lightning, which in turn has led to better education on safety and avoidance. The good news is that the number of lightning relatedįatalities has trended downward since 1940 when deaths were measured in the hundreds. According to the Park website, 50% of all known lightning casualties in Colorado occurred: On average, eleven people die from lightning each year inĬolorado. According to the National Outdoor Leadership School, lightning density maps show lightning strikes occurring more often at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains where the air and climate is drier. Hikers at the higher elevations in the Rockies should be especially conscious about the dangers of lightning. The Rocky Mountains are notorious for afternoon thunderstorms during the summer months. Lifetime, your odds of being struck jump to 1 in 3000! Indeed, National Geographic estimates the odds of being struck by lightning at only 1 in 700,000 in any given year. Those casualty figures may seem fairly low. Hikers need to be watchful for storms that produce lightning, particularly in open areas where you may be the highest object in theĪccording to the National Weather Service there are, on average, roughly 25 million lightning strikes that result in 273 injuries and 48 deaths in the U.S. With warm weather comes an increased chance of running into a thunderstorm while out on the trail, especially during the afternoons. Lightning can be one of the most frightening hazards that a hiker can encounter during the summer. Lightning and what you can do while hiking Expect the unexpected: The ultra-light Emergency Bivvy from Adventure Medical Kits acts like a sleeping bag in case you have to make an unplanned overnight stay in the woods.
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