I’ve never been struck by lightning, but I have been electrocuted while plugging in an iron. I know that doesn’t sound horrible, but I’ve never forgotten it. I lived in England at the time. A jolt of electricity ran through me when I plugged a 110-volt iron into a 220-volt transformer. There was a short in the transformer I didn’t know about. The force of the shock picked me up off the floor and threw me across my kitchen. That experience was not fun, and my arm and hand didn’t feel normal for days. I imagine that was nothing compared to being struck by lightning though.
Have you ever been caught outside during a thunderstorm with lightning flashing all around you? There are many myths about things you should do to stay safe in such circumstances. Do you know what these myths are?
Myth – You’re caught outside during a thunderstorm, but if you crouch down, it will reduce your chances of being struck by lightning.
Uh, no. That is like saying that if a murderer breaks into your house he has less chance of seeing you if you crouch down. In reality, you wouldn’t be safe anywhere in the same house with a murderer just as you wouldn’t be safe anywhere outdoors during a thunderstorm. You need to find shelter as fast as you can.
Myth – You’re caught outside during a thunderstorm? What do you do? Seek shelter beneath a tree to stay dry.
Would you rather fry or stay dry? If you’re answer is stay dry, then do not seek shelter beneath a tree. The second cause of lightning casualties is from seeking shelter beneath a tree.
Myth – If you’re outside playing a game and a thunderstorm rolls in, it is okay to finish your game before you seek shelter.
No, no, no. Always seek shelter during a thunderstorm. Many lightning casualties happen because people are slow to seek shelter.
Myth – If you’re trapped outside and lightning is about to strike, the best thing you can do is to lie flat on the ground.
Lie flat on the ground only if you want to increase your chances of being hit by a potentially deadly ground current. Keep moving, preferably toward a safe shelter.
Myth – If you’re inside a house, you’re completely safe from lightning.
Inside a house is a safe place to be during a thunderstorm, but you’re not 100% safe from lightning strikes. Electrical appliances and any other thing inside your house that conducts electricity could attract lightning. That includes TVs, corded phones, computers, and even metal doors.
Windows are a hazard during violent thunderstorms because heavy winds could blow object against them and crack or break them. And it is possible for lightning to enter the home through these cracks.
Myth – Don’t touch a person who has been struck by lightning because you’ll be electrocuted if you do.
Not so. The human body doesn’t store electricity. And help the unfortunate person who has been struck!
Myth – Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
I’ve heard that one all my life, but if that were the case, wouldn’t lightning soon run out of places to strike? On average, lightning strikes the Empire State Building 23 times each year.
Myth – You’re safe from lightning if it isn’t raining where you are and you can’t see any clouds overhead.
It would be glorious is that were true, but unfortunately, it’s not. Lightning often strikes more than 3 miles from the center of the thunderstorm and has been known to strike 10 to 15 miles away.
Myth – The rubber tires on a car will insulate you from the ground and protect you from getting struck by lightning.
This is another one I’ve heard. Most cars will protect you from lightning but not because of their rubber tires. Instead, it’s the metal that protects you. The lightning will go through the metal frame of a car and into the ground. So if you’re inside a car during a thunderstorm and lightning hits it, you probably don’t want to touch the door or you’ll get a not-so-nice surprise. Fiberglass-shelled cars do not offer the same protection.
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-myths – Find the above myths and more on this site.
Writing Prompt:
1. Create a character that receives a jolt of electricity when plugging an appliance into an electrical transformer. Yeah, that happened to me, but there were no lasting effects. You want your character to have at least one lasting effect though. A spider bite transformed Peter Parker into Spiderman. What does this jolt of electricity do to your character?
2. Your character is stranded outside during a violent thunderstorm with no safe shelter in sight. Which, if any, of the above myths does your character believe and try to follow? What happens?
Or your character could know the myths are just myths and try to reach a safe shelter. If this character finds shelter, how long does it take and what exciting/terrifying things happen until it is found?
3. During a violent thunderstorm, place your character inside a house where he is being pursued by someone trying to kill him. Using his knowledge of thunderstorms and lightning, your character manages to escape the clutches of the one pursuing him. How does he do this?
