Lightning safety guidelines

On average, lightning causes more casualties annually in the United States than any other storm-related phenomenon except floods. Although 90% of those injured survive, they may have permanent sequelae and disability. Many of these people incur injuries or are killed by lightning because of misinformation and inappropriate behavior during thunderstorms. A few simple precautions can reduce lightning injury risk. To standardize recommended actions during thunderstorms, the Lightning Safety Group (LSG), composed of lightning experts from many lightning-related backgrounds, met at the American Meteorological Society meeting Phoenix, AZ, in January 1998 to collectively address personal lightning safety. This paper is a summary of the recommendations developed by the LSG.