Geosciences daily news clips

News Headline: Being Outdoors Perilous During Thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: ABC News - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press
Outlet City: New York
Outlet State: NY
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Buffalo News - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Buffalo
Outlet State: NY
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Connecticut Post - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Bridgeport
Outlet State: CT
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Independent - Online, The
Contact Name: Felicia Fonseca
Outlet City: Massillon
Outlet State: OH
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle. ?WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS? Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University?s Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. ?It?s not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works.? The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare. ?People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning,? the weather bureau said.

The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle. ?WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS? Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University?s Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. ?It?s not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works.? The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare. ?People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning,? the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it ?has a mind of its own,? said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. ?It will really do what it wants.? OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities ? a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that?s connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville?s home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms - KFBB.com News, Sports and Weather |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: KFBB-TV - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Black Eagle
Outlet State: MT
News Text: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms

(AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

(AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office). This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: KRQE-TV - Online
Contact Name: Copyright Associated Press
Outlet City:
Outlet State: NM
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Return to Top

News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: KUSI-TV - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: San Diego
Outlet State: CA
News Text: (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

(AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office). This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: myfoxphilly.com
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Philadelphia
Outlet State: PA
News Text: (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

(AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office). This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Repository - Online, The
Contact Name: Felicia Fonseca
Outlet City: Canton
Outlet State: OH
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle. ?WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS? Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University?s Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. ?It?s not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works.? The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare. ?People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning,? the weather bureau said.

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News Headline: Lightning deaths bring reminder for safety |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Sentinel-Tribune - Online
Contact Name: Hal Brown
Outlet City: Bowling Green
Outlet State: OH
News Text: Written by FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: WHEC-TV - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Rochester
Outlet State: NY
News Text: (AP) FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: Worcester Telegram & Gazette - Online
Contact Name: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Outlet City: Worcester
Outlet State: MA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. ''It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works.'' The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

''People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning,'' the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it ''has a mind of its own,'' said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. ''It will really do what it wants.''

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: WPXI-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Pittsburgh
Outlet State: PA
News Text: This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when lightning struck near the northern Arizona scenic overlook, authorities said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/26/2013
Outlet Full Name: WTTG-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Washington
Outlet State: DC
News Text: (AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office)

(AP Photo/Coconino County Sheriff's Office). This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Photos of a train that derailed in Spain on July 24th, 2013.

Consumers may not realize that some of the fruits and vegetables they eat are genetically modified. Critics say these foods need to be labeled and some are taking that message to the street of D.C.

Photos of a train that derailed in Spain on July 24th, 2013.

Photos of a train that derailed in Spain on July 24th, 2013.

Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Atlanta
Outlet State: GA
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Return to Top

News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Beaver County Times - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Beaver
Outlet State: PA
News Text: | The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle. Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder. Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois. Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants." Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

Return to Top

News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Bradenton Herald - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Bradenton
Outlet State: FL
News Text: This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Return to Top

News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Columbia Missourian - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Columbia
Outlet State: MO
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Courier - Online, The
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Waterloo
Outlet State: IA
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Evening Sun - Online, The
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Hanover
Outlet State: PA
News Text: 'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikesyear-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activitiesa number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Gadsden Times - Online, The
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Gadsden
Outlet State: AL
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Greenwich Time - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Old Greenwich
Outlet State: CT
News Text: This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. Photo: Coconino County Sheriff's Office

This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when lightning struck near the northern Arizona scenic overlook, authorities said Wednesday. Photo: Coconino County Sheriff's Office

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Houston Chronicle - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Houston
Outlet State: TX
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KAIT-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Jonesboro
Outlet State: AR
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KASA-TV - Online
Contact Name: Copyright Associated Press
Outlet City:
Outlet State: NM
News Text: Published : Thursday, 25 Jul 2013, 6:30 PM MDT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KCBD-TV - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Lubbock
Outlet State: TX
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of 2 people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10% of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KFMB-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: San Diego
Outlet State: CA
News Text: Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KIMT-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Mason City
Outlet State: IA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

‘WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. “It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works.” The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

“People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning,” the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it “has a mind of its own,” said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. “It will really do what it wants.”

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KLKN-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Lincoln
Outlet State: NE
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KMPH-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Fresno
Outlet State: CA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KOB-TV - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Albuquerque
Outlet State: NM
News Text: (AP) FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KOLD-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Tucson
Outlet State: AZ
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KSL-TV - Online
Contact Name: Felicia Fonseca
Outlet City: Salt Lake City
Outlet State: UT
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities – a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KSWT-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Yuma
Outlet State: AZ
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KTIV-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Sioux City
Outlet State: IA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KTVN-TV - Online
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Outlet State: NV
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KWWL-TV - Online
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News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: KXXV-TV - Online
Contact Name:
Outlet City: Waco
Outlet State: TX
News Text: Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Markets.financialcontent.com
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA A
Outlet City: Glendale
Outlet State: CA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikesyear-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activitiesa number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Miami Herald - Online, The
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Outlet City: Miami
Outlet State: FL
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: MyMotherLode.com
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News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare. "People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants." Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities - a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: News Tribune - Online
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Outlet City: Tacoma
Outlet State: WA
News Text: This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Post-Star - Online, The
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Outlet City: Glens Falls
Outlet State: NY
News Text: The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities _ a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Reading Eagle - Online
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Outlet City: Reading
Outlet State: PA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

`WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Salt Lake Tribune - Online, The
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Salt Lake City
Outlet State: UT
News Text: ‘WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: San Francisco Chronicle - Online
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: San Francisco
Outlet State: CA
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Seattle
Outlet State: WA
News Text: By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press

This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday. Photo: Coconino County Sheriff's Office

This photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the sign at the entrance to the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when lightning struck near the northern Arizona scenic overlook, authorities said Wednesday. Photo: Coconino County Sheriff's Office

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: SRNNews.com
Contact Name:
Outlet City:
Outlet State:
News Text: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.Continued...

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News Headline: Being outdoors perilous during thunderstorms |

News Date: 07/25/2013
Outlet Full Name: Sun Herald - Online, The
Contact Name: FELICIA FONSECA
Outlet City: Gulfport
Outlet State: MS
News Text: This Wednesday, July 24, 2013 photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows the rock wall believed to be where a victim was sitting when lighting stuck Tuesday at the Le Fevre Overlook on Highway 89A, some 8 miles north of Jacobs Lake, Ariz. A married couple was killed and a teenage boy injured when the lightning struck, authorities said Wednesday.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The deaths of two people at a scenic overlook in northern Arizona this week bring to 14 the number of people killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. this year, according to the National Weather Service. Many of the victims were enjoying summertime activities like sightseeing, boating, camping and fishing. Weather experts say when thunderstorms roar, you should get out of the water, drop the sporting equipment and flee to a safe area inside a building or a vehicle.

'WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS'

Lightning flashes some 30 million times per year in the continental United States, mostly from cloud to cloud, said Richard Orville, professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. About 10 percent of lightning hits the ground, where it can travel through trees, soil, plumbing and electric wiring. Those cloud-to-cloud strikes start about 15 minutes before the ground strikes and thunder will roar, giving people a heads-up on when to seek shelter, Orville said. "It's not a hard rule, there are exceptions to it. But in terms of a guideline, it works." The National Weather Service advises people to stay indoors 30 minutes after that first flash of lightning or clap of thunder.

LEADING IN LIGHTNING STRIKES

Arizona and Florida are leading the nation so far this year in lightning fatalities, with three each. Places like Florida and Texas that have the right combination of moisture and heat have lightning strikes year-round, but in Arizona they are most common during the monsoon season. The couple that was killed Tuesday near Jacob Lake, Ariz., was sitting beneath a rock wall at a scenic overlook that got hit by lightning, authorities said. Others killed this year have been under trees in Missouri and New York, fishing on a boat in Louisiana, walking on the beach in Florida, camping in California and at a park in Illinois.

MORE LIKELY THAN WINNING LOTTERY?

Your odds of being struck by lightning depend on where you live, the climate, how much time you spend outdoors and the time of year. People in the central Florida peninsula where the lightning concentration is the highest in the United States, according to the National Weather Service, are more likely to be hit by lightning than people in the Pacific northwest where thunderstorms are rare.

"People in this region who spend much of their lives indoors might win the lottery before they were struck by lightning," the weather bureau said.

Knowing where lightning will strike is mostly unpredictable, weather experts say. While it tends to favor tall, isolated objects it "has a mind of its own," said Chris Outler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. "It will really do what it wants."

OUTDOORS UNSAFE

Most lightning deaths occur between June and August when people are outdoors enjoying the warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly two-thirds of the 238 people killed by lightning in the past seven years were enjoying recreational activities — a number that varied from 26 in 2011 to 48 in 2006, according to a study by lightning safety specialist John Jensenius Jr. The study dispels the myth that golfers are highest on the fatality list. Fishing led the list of 12 activities that accounted for more than half of the deaths from 2006 to 2012, followed by camping and boating. Golfing came in at No. 9.

DANGER INSIDE

When inside, weather experts say you should unplug electric appliances, avoid talking on a phone that's connected to the wall and not take a shower or bath when thunderstorms are brewing. A few years ago, Orville's home sustained $5,000 in damage when lightning hit a tree in his backyard, moving through electrical circuits and destroying the garage door opener, washer and dryer and lighting in the swimming pool.

Return to Top