After a striking number of lightning injuries within just five days, lightning safety specialist John Jensenius is pleading with people to bear one simple message in mind.
Head to a safe place at the first signs of a developing or approaching storm, said Jensenius, a lightning expert with the National Lightning Safety Council and a retired National Weather Service meteorologist.
More than 30 people were injured by lightning strikes across the the nation June 20-24, Jensenius said. Based on media reports in many cases, the injured weren’t following lightning safety recommendations, he said.
Lingering under the beach canopy? Hate to leave the pool? Trying to squeeze in that last inning at the ballpark? When the weather is stormy, it’s not worth the risk.
“People often wait far too long to get to a safe place and that puts them in a dangerous and potentially deadly situation,” he said. No place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area, and lightning can strike outward 10 miles from a storm, according to the safety council.
