Lightning is a common occurrence in the park, especially at higher elevations. It is important to be cautious during thunderstorms to ensure you and your family's safety.
Safety Tips:
• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from where it is raining.
• Be sure to check the weather report before planning any outdoor activities.
• At the first sound of thunder seek shelter immediately.
• Do not seek shelter under trees.
• If no shelter is available and you must remain outdoors be sure to avoid open fields, ridge lines, hill tops, isolated trees, and other tall objects.
• Avoid water and other wet areas.
• Avoid metal objects such as fences and poles.
• Keep in mind that the tram at Pipestem Resort State Park will often shut down temporarily during lightning storms.
Lightning First Aid:
• Call 911
• If you are still within an active thunderstorm consider moving the victim to a safer location.
• Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge. They are safe to touch and they need immediate medical attention.
• Deaths occurring due to lightning strikes typically result from cardiac arrest. Do not delay CPR if the victim is unresponsive or not breathing.
Statistics:
• According to the National Weather Service, lightning causes an average of 62 deaths and 300 injuries in the United States every year.
• Lightning hits the earth an estimated 100 times per second on average, or 8.6 million times a day.
• It is estimated that the U.S. alone receives as many as 20 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per year from perhaps as many as 100,000 thunderstorms.
