Computers increasingly tied to lightning-related injuries

The National Weather Service is calling this Lightning Awareness Week. Better now than, say, February.

Here are a couple tid bits from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parent of the weather service:

Although being inside a sturdy structure is the safest location during a thunderstorm…there are still some dangers. Lightning striking a house or other structure follows metal conductors, like electrical wiring…plumbing and telephone lines. In fact…phone use and increasingly computer use are the leading causes of indoor lightning related injuries.

Therefore…even inside a home…you should keep abreast of the latest forecasts provided by your local national weather office or media.

Here are some personal safety tips for inside the home:
– avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. if you plan to unplug your electrical equipment…do so before the storm arrives.
– avoid using corded phones. cordless and cellular phones are safer.
– avoid contact with all water and plumbing.
– stay away from windows…doors and stay off porches.

Lightning causes significant personal property damage with economic losses of nearly $5 billion a year in the united states. In addition to direct strikes on property…lightning generates electrical surges that can damage electronic equipment some distance away from the actual strike.

Try to unplug any appliances before a thunderstorm arrives… including cable or satellite receivers. If you plan on being away from your home when thunderstorms are possible…be sure to unplug unneeded equipment before you leave.

Additional lightning information can be found on the internet at www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

ALTHOUGH BEING INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE IS THE SAFEST LOCATION
DURING A THUNDERSTORM...THERE ARE STILL SOME DANGERS THAT EXIST.
LIGHTNING STRIKING A HOUSE OR OTHER STRUCTURE FOLLOWS METAL
CONDUCTORS SUCH AS ELECTRICAL WIRING...PLUMBING AND TELEPHONE
LINES. IN FACT...PHONE USE AND INCREASINGLY COMPUTER USE ARE THE
LEADING CAUSES OF INDOOR LIGHTNING RELATED INJURIES.

THEREFORE...EVEN INSIDE A HOME...YOU SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE
LATEST FORECASTS PROVIDED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER OFFICE
OR MEDIA.

HERE ARE SOME PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS FOR INSIDE THE HOME:
- AVOID CONTACT WITH ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT OR CORDS. IF YOU PLAN
  TO UNPLUG YOUR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT...DO SO BEFORE THE STORM
  ARRIVES.
- AVOID USING CORDED PHONES. CORDLESS AND CELLULAR PHONES ARE
  SAFER.
- AVOID CONTACT WITH ALL WATER AND PLUMBING.
- STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...DOORS AND STAY OFF PORCHES.

LIGHTNING CAUSES SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE WITH
ECONOMIC LOSSES OF NEARLY $5 BILLION A YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES.
IN ADDITION TO DIRECT STRIKES ON PROPERTY...LIGHTNING GENERATES
ELECTRICAL SURGES THAT CAN DAMAGE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT SOME
DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL STRIKE.

TRY TO UNPLUG ANY APPLIANCES BEFORE A THUNDERSTORM ARRIVES...
INCLUDING CABLE OR SATELLITE RECEIVERS. IF YOU PLAN ON BEING
AWAY FROM YOUR HOME WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...BE SURE TO
UNPLUG UNNEEDED EQUIPMENT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

ADDITIONAL LIGHTNING INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET
AT WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV.