It's Severe Weather Awareness Week in Nebraska and Iowa. Each day will focus on a specific weather hazard that neighbors in the Heartland deal with on a yearly basis. Today's topic is found in every thunderstorm; it is literally what makes a storm a storm: lightning.
HOW LIGHTNING FORMS
A key component to any thunderstorm is lightning, it's what makes a thunderstorm a thunderstorm. Lightning is the release of static electricity built up within a thunderstorm. On a dry day, when you touch something metal and you feel that small shock, that is the same principle as lightning, just on a much smaller scale.
During a thunderstorm, positive and negative charges build up within the cloud and at the ground. When these charges become too much, there is a big discharge of electricity, lightning.
Calling lightning hot is an understatement; it is one of the hottest things on the planet, if not the universe. Lightning bolts can reach up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit! For reference, the surface of the sun is around 10,000 degrees. Despite its look, the actual width of lightning is about the size of your pinky finger.
Heating the atmosphere to 50,000 degrees instantly causes the surrounding air to explode, and that sound expands miles outside the original lightning bolt. This is thunder! A good rule of thumb to judge how close lightning is is to count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder; every 5 seconds is 1 mile away. Thunder can be heard up to 25 miles away from a storm, while on some days, you can see lightning in storms upward of 100 miles away!
On average, in the United States, there are an estimated 22 million lightning strikes in thunderstorms. In Nebraska and Iowa, it's 770,000 and 654,000 strikes, respectively. That is a lot of lightning strikes!
LIGHTNING SAFETY
The number 1 safety tip for lightning is to go inside. When thunder roars, go indoors.
Even when it is not raining, if you hear thunder, it is time to head inside. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away, known as a "bolt from the blue". Do NOT hide under a tree, as lightning seeks the tallest object, which is normally trees.
Once inside, keep away from any corded electronics or metal pipes as lightning can travel through them. Avoid showering or washing dishes, as water is a good conductor of lightning. Although it is rare, homes can be struck by lightning.
If you are outside during a lightning storm, there is a chance you could be struck. The odds of being struck by lightning are low, around 1 in 1.2 million, but you should still take storms seriously! Warning signs that you are about to be struck include your hair standing on end, a tingling sensation in your body, and crackling power lines. Any warning sign means you have seconds to react. Lie flat down and spread yourself out like a starfish in hopes that the current will move around you.
If you are in a car and lightning strikes, stay in your car. Lightning will deflect around your car and through the ground via the tires. Again, the best practice in any thunderstorm is to stay inside.
Wait about 30 minutes after you hear the last rumble of thunder before you head back outdoors.
