NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA (352today.com) – After a stormy Sunday that dumped hail in some places, high winds in others and heavy rain pretty much everywhere in North Central Florida, weather hazards are likely top of mind.
But after today, the weather stabilizes, and it will be easy to push weather dangers to the recesses of your mind.
352today along with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are going to do our best to keep the issues at the forefront.
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This is severe weather awareness week across the Sunshine State.
Awareness Week is an opportunity for Floridians to learn about the various weather hazards that frequently impact the state and how you can prepare for these natural events.
Each day focuses on a specific weather event.
Monday’s focus is on lightning
The NWS says lightning is one of nature’s deadliest and most unpredictable weather phenomena. All thunderstorms contain lightning that can strike a person, tree, or an object either on the ground or in the air.
Lightning strikes the ground in the U.S. almost 200 million times each year and continues to be among the top weather-related killers in the United States. While meteorologists can forecast the general conditions that cause lightning, no one can forecast the exact location or time of the next strike of lightning.
According to FDEM, Florida’s geography plays a large role, especially during the summer. Some of the elements that make Florida such a great place to live, such as sunshine and the ocean, play important roles in the development of thunderstorms. Because thunderstorm activity peaks in the summer, when most people are enjoying the warm weather, Florida often has the greatest number of lightning fatalities each year in the United States.
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Four Corners, Florida, an area just a few miles to the south and west of Orlando, was found to have the highest lightning strike density of anywhere in the entire U.S. this year. Vaisala’s annual report deemed the town the lightning capital of the U.S.
Experts say lightning is often seen as an underrated killer because it does not generate as much attention compared to other forms of hazardous weather and usually only claims one or two victims at a time. Most people that are struck by lightning are not killed but suffer significant injuries. On average, lightning kills 49 people each year in the United States and injures hundreds of others. Florida averages seven fatalities per year due to lightning and often leads the nation in lightning deaths.
At the first sign of lightning or sound of thunder, FDEM says you should immediately head inside an enclosed structure and remain away from windows. Even while inside, it is important to stay away from windows and not use any corded electrical devices or running water from faucets. If you cannot make it inside when a thunderstorm approaches, the most dangerous place to be is in an open area.
Equally as dangerous is being caught over the open water of a lake or ocean when a thunderstorm is in the area. This is because lightning will tend to strike the tallest object in the area. This is also why standing under tall trees is very dangerous. When you cannot make it to an enclosed building, your next best course of action is to get into a vehicle with a hard-topped roof.
