The following specific lightning safety guidelines have been developed
with the assistance of lightning safety experts. Design your lightning safety
plan to consider local safety needs, weather patterns and thunderstorm
types.
a. As a minimum, lightning safety experts strongly recommend that
by the time the monitor observes 30 seconds between seeing the
lightning flash and hearing its associated thunder, all individuals
should have left the athletics site and reached a safer structure or
location.
b. Please note that thunder may be hard to hear if there is an
athletics event going on, particularly in stadiums with large crowds.
Implement your lightning safety plan accordingly.
c. The existence of blue sky and the absence of rain are not guarantees
that lightning will not strike. At least 10 percent of lightning occurs
when there is no rainfall and when blue sky is often visible somewhere
in the sky, especially with summer thunderstorms. Lightning can, and
does, strike as far as 10 (or more) miles away from the rain shaft.
d. Avoid using landline telephones, except in emergency situations.
People have been killed while using a landline telephone during a
thunderstorm. Cellular or cordless phones are safe alternatives to a
landline phone, particularly if the person and the antenna are located
within a safer structure or location, and if all other precautions are
followed.
<span style="font-weight: bold;">e. To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and last flash</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">of lightning. If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">threat. At night, be aware that lightning can be visible at a much</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">greater distance than during the day as clouds are being lit from</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">the inside by lightning. This greater distance may mean that the</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">lightning is no longer a significant threat. At night, use both the</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">sound of thunder and seeing the lightning channel itself to decide</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">on resetting the 30-minute "return-to-play" clock before resuming</span> <br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">outdoor athletics activities.</span>
f. People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical
charge. Therefore, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is safe for
the responder. If possible, an injured person should be moved to a
safer location before starting CPR. Lightning-strike victims who
show signs of cardiac or respiratory arrest need prompt emergency
help. If you are in a 911 community, call for help. Prompt,
aggressive CPR has been highly effective for the survival of victims
of lightning strikes.
