Lightning
Lightning is the most dangerous and frequently encountered
weather hazard that
most people experience each year.
It is the second most frequent killer in the United
States with nearly 100 deaths
and 500 injuries each year.
(Floods and flash floods are the number one cause of weather related deaths in the US.)
Using new knowledge about lightning, NSSL is leading an effort to collaborate with other groups to develop educational resources aimed towards informing the public of lightning hazards and improving planning for lightning avoidance. This is accomplished by:
- developing climatologies that better define the lightning risk for several states
- collaborating on guides and studies with the medical field
- and through papers, talks, posters, policy statements, and other educational materials
Lightning Impacts and Avoidance
Weather-related Lightning Research
NSSL's (and other's) education and information pages:
Lightning Fatalities, Injuries, and Damage Reports in the United States From 1959-1994
E. Brian Curran, Ronald L. Holle, and Raúl E. LópezUpdated Recommendations for Lightning Safety-1998
Ronald L. Holle, Raul López, and Christoph ZimmermanEducating Individuals about Lightning
Ronald L. Holle, Raul E. Lopez, R. James Vavrek, and Kenneth W. HowardFrequently Asked Questions about Lightning
Weather and Climate Resource Listing for Instructors
Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., Ronald L. Holle and R. James Vavrek
Additional Research and Educational Sites:
Lightning, Weather World 2010 Online Guides
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