Lightning Safety Awareness Week reminds folks to stay safe when the thunder rolls

Next week is Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and the National Weather Service in Paducah is putting out the word about an oft forgotten danger of thunderstorms.

Meteorologist Kate Hickford with the National Weather Service in Paducah says folks are mainly worried about the big dangers of severe weather—tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail and flooding—and she understands that completely. But she says lightning doesn’t need to be forgotten, as it is responsible for injuries and deaths each year.

She says if a thunderstorm rolls up, you really should go indoors as quickly as possible, and don’t be fooled, because if you’re close enough to hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck by lightning.

Once inside, Hickford says keep away from windows and electronics, and if you must shelter in a vehicle, keep your hands off of metal surfaces.

The National Weather Service will be releasing informational graphic and material on their Facebook page over the coming week, giving tips on how to stay lightning safe. Lightning Weather Awareness Week began in 2001 and since then, U.S. lightning fatalities have dropped from about 55 per year to less than 30.