City of Mesquite - Office of Emergency Management

Thunderstorms all produce lightning in varying amounts ... sometimes there's just an odd flash or two ... other times, the storms produce lightning nearly continuously, with lots of flashes to the ground. It is the flashes from the cloud to the ground (CG flashes, for short) that create problems. They typically are only a small percentage of the total flashes produced by a thunderstorm; most lightning stays within the clouds. But it only takes one CG flash to get you. The human body is composed of mostly "salty water", which conducts electricity a lot better than air, so the lightning will often try to travel through you to reach the ground.

Hazardous Activities During Lightning

It really takes just a little judgement to determine if you or your family is in a vulnerable situation. The following activities are discouraged during any stage of an approaching severe storm.

Boating

Golfing

Swimming

Bike Riding

Fishing

Working in the Yard

Talking on Telephones

Standing in open fields

Standing Near Metal Fences

Standing under taller than average trees

Standing on tall objects like hills

Sporting Events

Always remember that lightning can strike well outside of the actual storm. When it is recognized that a storm is building, it is time to consider ending activities. The best way to know when a storm is coming is to watch the sky for turbulent weather. You should be able to recognize developing thunderstorms before they begin to produce lightning. Fair weather clouds may be puffy, but they are short and show little or no vertical development. When they begin to tower up and build into deep clouds with dark bases like the picture at the left, they are in the process of becoming thunderstorms. Sometimes, all that they do is to tower up but, generally, when this towering process begins, they go on to become thunderstorms. A cloud that is tall and beginning to flatten out at the top is definitely a thunderstorm.

Appropriate Response Actions for Lightning

Avoid being the tallest object in the immediate area. A strike zone for a bolt of lightning is extremely small so get as low as you can by tucking yourself into a ball. Never lie prone on the ground. Avoid sheltering under tall objects. Sheltering from the rain under a tree is often a factor in people being struck.
Evaluate your shelter conditions. Lightning can travel along the ground from a nearby strike to you. It can also jump from nearby objects that are struck. Standing in water is not a good idea. Additionally, avoid being near fence lines and power lines that lead into areas where lightning is occurring. A flash can travel along the wires.
Call for medical help immediately if someone is struck by lightning. In the meantime, administer CPR to any lightning strike victims if their heart has stopped and they have stopped breathing. Remember to keep the victim warm. The cold rain is a good source for the start of hypothermia.
Know how far you are from the lightning. The national weather service formula says to count the time between the sight of the flash and the rumble of the thunder. Divide the first number by five to get the distance in miles.
Do not think that the rubber on your car tires or tennis shoes or any other like substance will insulate you from the lightning. It is an extremely powerful surge of electricity and a little rubber won't make much difference.
Follow the suggestions listed at the sheltering page for more information.

All photos are courtesy of the National Weather Service