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News You Can Use

Lightning: A deadly serious subject

University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Susan Hughes
Aug. 7, 2006

STARKVILLE, Miss.-As most Southerners older than pre-teen generally appreciate, weather-especially in summer-can seem akin to a rollercoaster ride.

A clear day can, with little warning, turn stormy, sometimes violently so. For this reason, it's important to know how to react to a sudden thunderstorm.

While wind and hail can pose dangers, "In summer, the biggest threat is lightning," says Mike Brown of Mississippi State University. An associate professor in the geosciences department's broadcast meteorology program, he identifies three primary types of lightning, including:

Cloud-to-cloud, which occurs between two storms;
Inter-cloud, which occurs within one storm and;
Cloud-to-ground, the most dangerous.

In the summer, storms commonly develop from a combination of daytime heating and air moisture. Given the prevalence of these conditions, it's little wonder summer forecasting often can prove difficult.

If caught outside as the sky suddenly develops an intense cloud cover, the wind direction changes and turns noticeably cooler and thunder rumbles, remember the following safety tips offered by Brown from studies conducted by the National Lightning Safety Institute:

Since lightning often precedes rain, immediately cease all outdoor activities and head inside any grounded structure;
Avoid relocating on water, high ground, adjacent to metal objects, or in open spaces;
If lightning begins striking and no safe cover is available, immediately crouch down with feet together;
Remain inactive for at least 30 minutes after the last indications of thunder or lightning have passed.

For the complete NLSI list of safety tips, visit www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/lst.html.