Weather Updates

DENVER (CBS4) ― It's not something you want to be tops in, but Colorado and Florida led the way last year as the states with the most lightning-related deaths.

June 21-27 is Colorado Lightning Safety & Wildfire Awareness Week. There has been one death from lightning in Colorado so far this year.

In 2008 the National Weather Service in Denver documented 10 people survived lightning strikes in Colorado. Over the past 20 years Colorado has had an average of 16 lightning injuries annually and 3 annual deaths.

When it comes to severe weather, most people will take shelter when it's raining and hailing but when thunderstorms develop don't forget that lightning isn't too far behind. It's estimated that 25 million cloud-to-ground strikes occur every year and each one of those has the potential to do some serious injury or damage. In Colorado the average is a little over 500,000 cloud-to-ground strikes a year.

Summer is the peak season for severe weather. In the United States, on average, approximately 60 people are killed each year by lightning.

So far in 2009, 15 people have been killed.

In 2008:

-- 28 people died due to lightning strikes. All of them were outside

-- 79 percent of those killed by lightning were male last year.

-- 36 percent were under a tree and 36 percent were on or near the water

So how can you stay safe when lightning is dancing all around?

The National Weather Service offers up these tips:

-- Watch for Developing Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are most likely to develop on spring or summer days but can occur year round. As the sun heats the air, pockets of warmer air start to rise and cumulus clouds form. Continued heating can cause these clouds to grow vertically into towering cumulus clouds, often the first sign of a developing thunderstorm.
-- When to Seek Safe Shelter: Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the area where it is raining. That's about the distance you can hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately.
-- Outdoor Activities: Minimize the risk of being struck. Most lightning deaths and injuries occur in the summer. Where organized outdoor sports activities take place, coaches, camp counselors and other adults must stop activities at the first roar of thunder to ensure everyone has time to get to a large building or enclosed vehicle. Leaders of outdoors events should have a written plan that all staff are aware of and enforce.
-- Indoor Activities: Inside buildings, stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity. Stay away from pools (indoor or outdoor), tubs, showers and other plumbing. Buy surge suppressors for key equipment. Install ground fault protectors on circuits near water or outdoors. When inside, wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder, before going outside again.
-- Helping a Lightning Strike Victim: Lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge, are safe to touch, and need urgent medical attention. Cardiac arrest is the immediate cause of death for those who die. Some deaths can be prevented if the victim receives the proper first aid immediately. Call 9-1-1 immediately and perform CPR if the person is unresponsive or not breathing. Use an Automatic External Defibrillator if one is available.
-- Summary: Lightning is dangerous. With common sense, you can greatly increase your safety and the safety of those you are with. At the first clap of thunder, go to a large building or fully enclosed vehicle and wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before you to go back outside. 

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Long Range Forecast For Colorado

A new 30- and 90-day long range forecast for Colorado is released by the Climate Prediction Center each month. Get the whole story about the latest long range forecast from CBS4's forecasters.

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