Aug 2001

Lightning
by Dana Dickson (Inland Sea Kayakers)

There are many myths and misconceptions about lightning. All though the old saying is that lightning never strikes twice at the same place; the Empire State Building in New York City is struck by lightning 22-25 times each year. Lightning can strike twice if the same place is still there. Or how about the myth that a foam pad or rubber shoes will help insulate you from lightning? The reality is that it takes about 10,000 volts to create a one inch spark. Lightning has millions of volts and can jump 10 to 20 feet. The claim that a cave is a safe place in a thunderstorm is another misconception that could have tragic consequences for us in the outdoors. If the cave is shallow, it can be deadly during a lighting strike. Perhaps the most dangerous misconception is that anywhere on land is preferable to being on the water in a thunderstorm. Tall trees and rocky outcrops along the shore and on nearby land may be more dangerous places to be than in a boat on the water.

Our best defense from the threat of lightning is to use our automatic built-in lightning detector and to get to a safer location as quickly as possible when there is a threat of severe weather. First, use your eyes to watch the horizon for changes in weather. Although the usual pattern in the northern hemisphere is for the weather to move in from the west, thunderstorms can come from any direction. The sight of rapidly growing clouds, even before the classic anvil shape of a thunderhead forms, is a sign you should be paying more attention to changes in the weather. When you see lightning and hear thunder, you can make a determination of the distance of the lightning by timing the interval between the flash of the lightning and the bang of the thunder. The sound of the thunder travels about 1 mile in 5 seconds. So if the sound takes 10 seconds to reach you after you see the flash, the lighting was 2 miles away. If it takes 30 seconds, six miles, and so on. Successive lightning strikes can be as much as 8 miles apart. If lighting is within 6 to 8 miles of your location, you need to take immediate defensive action.

If possible get off the water to a safer location. Avoid transition zones: the edge of the land, isolated tall trees, high ground and open spaces. Try to get to a part of the forest with uniform shrubs or trees of uniform height. In open areas look for ditches, trenches or low ground. Seek to maintain a low crouching position with your feet together and hands on ears to minimize acoustic shock from thunder.

If you are on the water and cannot get off to a safer location, avoid close contact with other paddlers. Stay at least 15-20 feet apart and do not paddle near shore.

Once a thunderstorm has passed, keep a high level of safety awareness for thirty minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.

If you are with someone who is struck by lightning, prompt first aid could save his or her life. Eighty percent of lighting strike victims survive the shock. If the person’s breathing or heart have stopped, start CPR immediately and send someone to get help. Medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, because there may be internal injuries present that are not apparent during a field examination.

Paddling a kayak is an activity with associated inherent risks. We wear PFD’s in case we swamp our boats. When paddling on cold water we wear a wetsuit. In addition, we practice and improve our paddling skills to manage the risks associated with kayaking. We do this to increase our enjoyment of kayaking and because we believe we are more likely to tip our boats and take a swim, than to get hit by lightning. However, if a thunderstorm moves in when we are paddling we are potential targets for the lightning. The risk of injury from lightning while paddling can be managed successfully, just as the risks of immersion can be managed.
June Program Meeting: The Bridge over Troubled Waters

Situations arise on trips. They always do. Decisions affect everyone on the group and it’s not always easy to make them. Do we paddle in this wind or wait it out? Do we stop to rest and eat or do we paddle another hour? Do we making a crossing together or in small groups? Having a smooth process for making decisions on a trip can be essential to a good trip.