Ticker for August 21, 2006

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
August 21, 2006    August 21, 2006    August 21, 2006    August 21, 2006


Tall, Bark and Tanned Some

Some times in life it doesn't pay to be tall and well-grounded. Take,
for instance, during a lightning storm. An OKC area oak tree paid
nature's electric bill Saturday night, when it was struck by a
cloud-to-ground lightning strike. The tree's owner saw a bright
orange flash, and found the following scene outside:



Notice the violent expulsion of tree bark that testifies to the power
of a lightning strike. The owner reported finding singed bark up to
100 feet from the tree:



Panning back from the scene shows the multiple hazards associated with
lightning from a thundershower. A person outside in the vicinity could
have been injured by: a direct hit, an indirect hit (current along the
ground can trigger cardiac arrest), falling limmbs/debris, not to
mention temporary blindness and hearing damage.



To some folks, lightning safety may seem silly, but in a typical year,
lightning kills more Americans than tornadoes and straight-line winds
combined. It's important to remember the forces involved and always
follow the 30/30 rule, which requires a 30-minute break after the last
lightning strike before outdoor activities are resumed.

For more on the 30/30 rule, please visit:

http://earthstorm.mesonet.org/materials/Weather%20Wise-Lightning%20Final.pdf