Shocking fact: Lightning strikes, fatalities peak during 101 Critical Days of Summer Published May 24, 2007 By Capt. Nathan Broshear 505th CCW Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- I was watching the news the other night, and I saw a video of several kids playing in the rain. In the video, a lightning bolt hit the ground near the group, almost knocking them off their feet. "Wow! That was close," the anchor commented. Close indeed -- those children are lucky to be alive. We often joke about lightning strikes as an analogy for a sudden idea or an incident happening infrequently. One might comment, "Lightning doesn't strike twice." In fact, lightning can strike twice ... or many times! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, there were 3,239 deaths and 9,818 injuries attributable to lightning during the 36-year period they studied. That's interesting, but the really "shocking" part of the report is the finding that casualty and damage events caused by lightning had little from variation year to year. In essence, weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes are devastating, but rare. Lightning, by comparison, is a constant, widespread and deadly event. This is especially timely during the 101 Critical Days of Summer safety campaign. Deaths by lightning strikes peak during these months, with July as the deadliest month. The NOAA statistics should serve as a warning to Air Force members stationed at bases such as Eglin Air Force Base, Tyndall AFB, Patrick AFB, MacDill AFB and Hurlburt Field because Florida leads the nation in the number of deaths and injuries caused by lightning. These statistics aren't meant as some kind of scare tactic. During the 101 Critical Days of Summer, you'll hear plenty of factoids and statistics meant to help you think critically about your actions. Our safety staff is working to compile this information not to fill "gee whiz" PowerPoint slides, but as way for you to focus on the real dangers of everyday life and adjust accordingly. Summer is a time to relax, but you should never become complacent and ignore common sense steps to protect yourself and your family from Mother Nature. So what can you do to protect yourself from becoming a lightning statistic for the next NOAA study? For starters, heed the warnings of safety staff and the base giant voice. Some bases have implemented computer-based "pop-up" warnings to alert staff of incoming storms. When you get the notification of "lightning within five," go inside. But you can't depend on the military for every notification. When planning outdoor activities, check local weather reports or keep a weather-band radio handy. Weather awareness off duty is a must; the NOAA study found weekends are when most lightning victims met their demise. And don't let male pride get in the way of weather safety. Males are killed by lightning 5.6 times more often than females, usually while trying to finish the "big game" or "one last hole." Your ego will always lose out to voltage. When the softball game is called off due to a summer thunderstorm, never wait out the weather under a tree. These tall, water filled lightning rods are the preferred method for electricity to seek a ground. It's no surprise NOAA researchers found people involved in recreation and those seeking shelter under trees were statistically more likely to be casualties of lightning. Golfers, or people holding portable metal lightning rods in a vast open area where their own body is the tallest object, are also one of the top groups who became victims of lightning strikes. Every Airman and their family are potential targets during the summer, lightning can strike at any moment.