Within that group of 136 flashes, termed "multiple channel flashes," 88 had two or more separate and distinct channels (or paths) between the cloud base and the ground. "If you want to quantify the chances of being struck by lightning, they are about 45 percent higher than the number of flashes because, on average, there are about 1.45 strike points per CG flash." In this research, we've documented that lightning definitely strikes more than one place about a third of the time," Krider said. "Most people assume that lightning strikes in only one place. There were a total of 558 different strike points therefore, on average, each cloud-to-ground flash struck the ground in 1.45 places. They found that within their sample of 386 flashes, 136 flashes (35 percent) struck the ground in two or more places that were separated by tens of meters (yards) or more. They recorded 386 cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes on videotape during the summer of 1997 in Tucson, Arizona. Philip Krider in the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona, co-authors of the study, took to the field using video and other technology to study lightning, which is one of the biggest weather-related killers in the United States, superseded only by extreme heat and flooding. NASA-funded scientists have recently learned that cloud-to-ground lightning frequently strikes the ground in two or more places and that the chances of being struck are about 45 percent higher than what people commonly assume. LIGHTNING REALLY DOES STRIKE MORE THAN TWICE The Top Story Archive listing can be found by clicking on this link.Īll stories found on a Top Story page or the front page of this site have been archived from most to least current on this page.įor a list of recent press releases, click here. Alaska and Hawaii reported no lightning-related deaths over that period. Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York and Texas are the states with the next largest numbers of fatalities. Florida stands out as the state with the most fatalities at 1,523 over the 35 year period. The map was created by the National Weather Service from lightning reports on fatalities, injuries and damages across the United States over that time period. This is a map of lightning casualties across the contiguous United States between 19. ParkerĬaption for Image 3: LIGHTNING FATALITIES, INJURIES, DAMAGES BY STATE These stills taken from a video show one lightning flash striking in three separate places, as indicated in the smaller frames to the left, when the video was slowed. GarayĬaption for Image 2: 1 FLASH, 3 GROUND CONTACTS The 386 flashes produced a total of 558 different strike points therefore, on average, each cloud-to-ground flash struck the ground in 1.45 places.CREDIT: Photograph by M. Within Valine and Krider's study sample of 386 flashes, 136 flashes (35%) struck the ground in two or more places that were separated by tens of meters (yards) or more, such as the strike pictured here. Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) Lightning TeamĬaption for Image 1: INITIAL LEADER FORKS AND STRIKES THE GROUND IN TWO PLACES The National Severe Storms Laboratory on Lightning Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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