Lightning Safety Tips 



Weatherwise or 

 otherwise 



continued 



water conduct electricity well, but you 

 will probably be the highest point 

 around. 



Whether you own a sailboat or a 

 motorboat, the most important thing is 

 to give lightning a ground. 



Steel boats are automatically ground- 

 ed by their hulls. But fiberglass or 

 wooden boats need to be grounded to 

 minimize the risk of lightning damage. 



Some new boats will already be 

 grounded when you buy them. Sea 

 Grant marine agent Jim Bahen recom- 

 mends you ask the dealer if the boat 

 has been grounded. 



If your boat hasn't been grounded, 

 you can obtain instructions by writing 

 Maryland Sea Grant, H.J. Patterson 

 Hall, University of Maryland, College 

 Park, Md. 20742. Ask for Lightning: 

 Grounding Your Boat, Leaflet 138. 



The next rule is to be weatherwise. 



Obviously the best way to survive a 

 storm is to stay out of it. Listen to 

 weather reports before you leave the 

 dock, says Bob Byrne, commander of 



Fulgurites 



When a bolt of lightning strikes a 

 sandy beach, something amazing 

 happens. 



It creates glass. 



The intense heat of the lightning in- 

 stantly melts the surrounding sand, 

 forming finger-like, hollow tubes of 

 cemented sand. 



They're called fulgurites, from the 

 Latin word fulgur, meaning lightning. 



Fulgurites are rough on the outside, 

 smooth on the inside. They can be from 

 a half inch to 2 inches in diameter and 

 as long as 10 feet. But because they're 

 so fragile, fulgurites are usually found in 

 smaller pieces. 



inside . . . 



1. Stay away from open doors and 

 windows. 



2. Stay off the telephone and avoid 

 using hand-held electrical appliances 

 such as hair dryers, electric tooth- 

 brushes and electric razors. 



3. Don't take a shower or bath during 

 thunderstorms. 



Outside. . . 



1. If you're traveling, stay in your car. 

 Automobiles offer good lightning 

 protection. 



2. If you don't have a car, take cover in 

 a low area. Don't make yourself the 

 highest point around. 



3. Don't stand near tall, isolated trees, 



the Morehead City Coast Guard Aux- 

 iliary Flotilla. 



"If you know something is brewing, 

 stay home," Byrne says. 



But in some cases, stormy weather 

 forms too quickly for warnings. If a 

 storm takes you by surprise, Byrne 

 recommends these steps. 



Most sand on North Carolina beaches 

 is composed of two minerals— quartzite 

 and feldspar. And quartzite contains 

 silica, which is used to make glass. 



Fulgurites are rare finds on North 

 Carolina beaches, says Sea Grant edu- 

 cational specialist Lundie Spence. 

 You're most likely to find them on high 

 dunes after a rain. The rain washes 

 away the loose surrounding sand, un- 

 covering the fulgurites. 



If you find one, handle it carefully, 

 Spence says. Fulgurites are collector's 

 items. 



fences or other objects that might at- 

 tract lightning. 



4. Get out of and stay away from the 

 water. 



5. If you feel your hair stand on end, 

 drop to your knees and bend 

 forward. 



iff someone is 

 struck by 

 lightning. . . 



1. Administer mouth-to-mouth 

 resuscitation and heart massage, 

 even if a victim appears dead. 



2. Lightning victims should always see 

 a doctor, even if they seem unhurt. 

 The physical effects of a lightning 

 strike aren't always obvious. 



Immediately secure any loose items 

 on your boat. Most important, be sure 

 everyone is wearing a personal flotation 

 device. 



"Don't leave them in the plastic or 

 neatly tied up somewhere," Byrne says. 

 "They won't do anybody any good 

 there." 



If your boat has a cabin, get inside. 

 Then steer your boat toward the dock. 

 Travel at a moderate speed, Byrne says. 



If the storm overtakes you, drop back 

 to minimum speed to avoid swamping 

 your boat. 



Zig-zag toward port, crossing the 

 waves at 45-degree angles, Byrne says. 



If lightning strikes your boat, the first 

 rule is to recover, Byrne says. "Take two 

 to three deep breaths first. You're going 

 to be more scared than hurt. And if 

 your boat has been properly grounded, 

 your chances of getting hurt will be 

 minimal," he says. 



If someone is struck and appears 

 dead, immediately give him mouth-to- 

 mouth resuscitation and heart massage. 



And even if a person seems merely 

 stunned by lightning, he should see a 

 doctor as soon as possible. 



