Some Lightning and Thunderstorm Information

More that eight (8) million times daily or ninety-three (93) times a second lightning strikes somewhere in the world.

 A lightning bolt is typically around fifty thousand (50,000) degrees (ºF). About five (5) times hotter than the surface of our sun.

 During a thunderstorm it is a bad idea to take a shower. Even a nearby lightning strike can travel across the earth and have high voltages getting on your metallic pipes and water lines. Usually, it takes about 30 mA of current to cause respiratory paralysis. Currents greater than 75 mA cause ventricular fibrillation (very rapid, ineffective heartbeat). This condition will cause death within a few minutes unless a special device called a defibrillator is used to save the victim. (A milliamp is a unit for measuring electrical current equal to one thousandth of an ampere), A mA is written as 0.001 amp.

• Electrical Sensation. Tingle sensation occurs at about 0.25 to 0.5 mA for an adult female and between 0.50 and 1 mA for an adult male.
• Uncomfortable Sensation. Current over 1 - 2 mA is very uncomfortable to both sexes.
• Maximum Let-Go Level. The maximum Let Go Threshold level for a female is approximately - 9 mA and for a male it is about - 15 mA.

 When lightning strikes a car, truck or airplane the electrical currents travel around the metal surfaces of the vehicle and unless you touch any metallic objects during the strike you will not get shocked.

Yes, lightning can strike out of a clear blue sky. About ten (10%) percent of the time it is not raining.

Yes, lightning can and does strike in the same place over and over. The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning about one-hundred (100) times a year. 

Believe me if you get caught outside in a hailstorm nothing can protect you from the hail. The largest hailstone on record was about nineteen (19”) inches around and weighted almost two (2#) pounds. 

And yes, lightning strikes do cause electrical equipment to fail if not properly protected.