Lightning 'biggest natural killer' in India: All your FAQs answered

New Delhi, July 12: Thunderstorm, accompanied by lightning strikes, kills more people in India than any other natural calamity. India has witnessed an ever-increasing death toll and damages due to lightning bolts over the past few years.

In a populous country like India, where thousands of people die each year because of natural calamities like floods, cyclones, the death toll from lightning strikes paints a grim picture.

Lightning has claimed over 68 lives in separate incidents across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

What is lightning?

Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere accompanied by a bright flash and sound, and sometimes thunderstorms.

Lightning is one of the oldest observed natural phenomena on earth. It can be seen in volcanic eruptions, extremely intense forest fires, surface nuclear detonations, heavy snowstorms, in large hurricanes, and obviously, thunderstorms.

How many volts and watts are in lightning?

Lightning can have 100 million to 1 billion volts, and contains billions of watts.

Who is at greatest risk for lightning strikes?

Construction and farming are the two most common occupations that is under high risk of becoming lightning victims. Males, aged 15-34 years are five times more likely than females to be struck by lightning.

How does lightning cause injuries?

According to CDC, lightning can cause injuries in several ways:

• Direct strike: Victims may sustain a direct strike, which is often fatal.
• Contact injury: This occurs when lightning strikes an object, such as a car or metal pole, that the victim is touching.
• Side flash: This occurs when lightning splashes or bounces off an object, such as a tree or person, onto the victim.
• Ground current: This occurs when lightning strikes the ground near a victim and the ground current passes from the strike point through the ground and into the victim.
• Streamer: When the air is charged with electricity during a lightning storm, bursts of energy, or streamers, can come upward from objects near the ground. Sometimes these streamers travel upwards through people, causing harm to the victims.
• Blast injury: The lightning's blast effect, thunder, may cause either primary injury, such as ruptured eardrums, or tertiary injury, such as blunt trauma when the victim falls or is thrown.

What happens when you hit by a lightning strike?

Usually, about 10% of people struck by lightning die due to heart attack. Other lightning injuries include blunt trauma, neurological syndromes that are usually temporary, muscle injuries, eye injuries, skin lesions, and burns.

How can I protect myself from a lightning strike?

Be prepared. Check the weather forecast before the outdoor activities. If the forecast warning for thunderstorms, postpone your travel or trip or activity for end of thunderstorm.

#Lightning | Confused about what to do when lightning strikes? ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/aqO7WmkUUJ

— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण 🇮🇳 (@ndmaindia) July 12, 2021

What is considered a safe shelter during a lightning storm?

during lightning, homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with windows rolled up would be safe shelters. Avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts

Is it safe to use mobile phones during lightning?

Yes. Cell phones and cordless phones are safe to use during a lightning storm as long as they are not connected to an outlet through a charger. Do not use corded phones.

Is it safe to be under a tree during a lightning storm?

No. Being underneath trees is the second leading cause for lightning deaths. For more information on safe shelters, visit our lightning safety tips page.

Is it safe to take a shower or bath during a lightning storm?

No. It is best to avoid all water during a lightning storm. Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.

Is it safe to touch somebody who was struck by lightning?

Yes. Lightning victims are NOT electrified and you will NOT be electrocuted by touching someone who has been struck in a lightning storm.