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Summer is the peak season for
lightning strikes.
It is estimated that in the United
States an average of 67 people are struck by lightning each year, according to
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Safety experts suggest that because
lightning usually claims one or two victims at a time and because it does not
leave the same kind of destruction in its wake as hurricanes and other dangerous
weather conditions, lightning receives less attention.
However, last year there were 48
deaths and 176 injuries resulting from lightning.
People struck by lightning regularly
suffer from long-term debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, attention
deficit, sleep disorders, dizziness, stiffness in joints, fatigue, muscle
spasms, and depression, according to NOAA.
In Glynn County, lightning cases
often originate at beaches, where the victim is struck by lightning while in the
water, said Glynn County Fire Department Deputy Chief Ray Marat.
When outdoors when during a
thunderstorm, the National Lightning Safety Institute advises you to:
* Avoid water
* Stay away from metal objects
like fences, power tools and machinery
* Refrain from getting under
canopies, small picnic or rain shelters or trees
* Find shelter in a building or
vehicle with the windows completely shut.
If indoors during a thunderstorm or
electrical storm, the National Lightning Safety Institute advises you to:
* Avoid water
* Stay away from doors and
windows
* Refrain from using the
telephone or wearing head phones
* Turn off, unplug and stay away
from computers, appliances and televisions.
A person struck by lightning will not
carry an electrical charge and can be handled safely, the institute said.
First aid procedures such as CPR
should be applied to a lightning victim by a qualified individual, Marat said.
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