Survive a lightning strike
Lightning is one of the most violent natural phenomena on Earth. A lightning strike can discharge electrical currents reaching hundreds of thousands of amps and raise temperatures up to 30,000 C.
Lightning and people can be a lethal combination. A study in Oxford Brookes University found that males are getting lightning strikes more than females. The best way to survive lightning is to get yourself indoors and stay away from electrical equipment. If you are nowhere near a building when a storm blows up, then you should use your car as a shelter and as long as you keep your hands away from the metal bodywork, it will act like a Faraday cage to keep you safe in the event of lightning. Don’t even try to shelter under a tree or otherwise you could be electrocuted by side flash. If you are in the middle of a lightning storm and there is no place to hide in, the best way to stay safe is to squat down and perch on the balls of your feet. You might also want to shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears.
Parsons, Paul. "Survive a Lightning Strike." BBC: Focus Sept. 2010: 49. Web
No comments:
Post a Comment