Shocking News About Lightning and Pools

Summer is the most dangerous season for lightning deaths and injuries. Nearly one hundred people die from lightning strikes each year, and hundreds are injured. If you see lightning or hear thunder, you are a potential target for a lightning strike. Lightning fatalities or injuries occur most often when you are:

Near or in water - indoor and outdoor pools, including showers or plumbing.

Near or under trees and tall objects - diving boards, towers, lifeguard stands, poles, etc.

Near vehicles or buildings, instead of in them - under awnings or unenclosed buildings.

At recreational facilities and open areas - pools, ball fields, golf courses, and parks.

Near the storm, especially before the storm arrives and after the storm has passed.

You can determine the distance between you and the lightning strike by using the flash-to-bang rule: For each five seconds you count between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder, there is one mile between you and that lightning strike. If your evacuation building is nearby and nothing obstructs the view at the pool, a 30-second flash-to-bang time should be your bare minimum for evacuating the pool. Pools that have obstructed views should evacuate anytime thunder is heard. Thunder usually becomes audible within ten miles of the thunderstorm. Pools in high noise areas should use NOAA weather radio, the Weather Channel, lightning sensors, or other means of monitoring the weather and should evacuate the pool when storms are within ten miles (flash-to-bang of 50 seconds). A developing storm may provide no advance warning before the first lightning strike. Reduce the risk of electrocution near pools by following the HANDY Rule:

HANDY RULE

Hand - The five fingers of the hand stand for the five seconds per mile, flash-to-bang rule. There should be a well grounded, enclosed and sturdy building handy for everyone. If not, evacuate the pool sooner. Include the extra time needed to get people out of the pool and to the building in your evacuation plan. Wait thirty minutes from the last time thunder is heard before reopening the pool.

Awareness - Know the weather forecast, stay informed and have a safety plan ready to enact. If thunderstorms are forecast, be alert for storm development and be prepared to carry out your plan.

Notify - Tell people that the pool is closed. Do not allow them to use showers, sinks or stand outside, especially under awnings and trees. The locker room may not be safe. In fact, a wet locker room floor is an ideal conductor of electrical energy.

Direct patrons to safe structures or hard topped vehicles. Convertibles are not safe from lightning.

Your own safety - The pool area is too dangerous for everyone. Be in a safe building or vehicle and remain there until thunder is no longer heard. The pool filter room is not safe due to the water and plumbing. Blue sky, sunshine or lack of rain is not a reason to return to the pool area.

Jun 13, 2005

Ask Mr. WeatherBlogger: pools & lightning

Mr. Weatherblogger recently (OK, a week ago - it takes time to become an instant expert) received this query from reader Allyson Mattanah, who clearly is a fitness nut:

"Is there any danger to swimmers in an INDOOR pool during a thunderstorm? My health club closes their indoor pool during lightning, but it seems rather unnecessary. Please respond."

Frankly, it seemed kind of unnecessary to me, too. But not wanting to look dumb on the record when I can avoid it, I forwarded Allyson's question to David Manning, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Sterling, Va. forecast office.

"You've got me on that one," Manning said. But he went to work and found us all an answer. More specifically, he referred us to the National Lightning Safety Institute Web page.

The bottom line: swimming pools - all swimming pools, whether indoors or out - are connected to the rest of the world by an extensive network of pipes and wires, all of which conduct electricity. And a lightning strike somewhere nearby could conceivably transmit a powerful jolt into the pool. Clearly, not a good place to be in a thunderstorm.

Curiously, the discussion on the National Lightning Safety Institute Website says there are no known reports of anyone being killed while swimming in an indoor pool during a lightning storm. But lighting strikes have destroyed circulation pumps and electrical boxes, and blown slides off their concrete footings. There are also plenty of reports of people in other storts of buildings being zapped while using telephones and other appliances. It's easy enough to put two and two together and recognize there has to be some risk to indoor swimmers.

So, the sensible advice would be to close the pool, get everyone out and wait for the storm to pass - at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard.

Posted by Admin at Jun 13, 2005 11:58:01 AM

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Indoor/Outdoor Swimming Pool Safety

Lightning’s behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses towards the lightning hazard.

Swimming pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:

1. Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a "weather radio" or the Weather Channel or other TV program to obtain good localized advanced weather information.

2. When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash-To-Bang (F-B) method to determine its’ rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, a F-B of 10 = 2 miles; 15 = 3 miles; 20 = 4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.

3. Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be some 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away. Why take a chance with lightning?

Indoor/Outdoor Swimming Pool Safety

Lightning’s behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses towards the lightning hazard.

SwimmiIndoor/Outdoor Swimming Pool Safety

Lightning’s behavior is random and unpredictable. We recommend a very conservative attitude towards it. Preparedness and quick responses are the best defenses towards the lightning hazard.

Swimming pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:

1. Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a "weather radio" or the Weather Channel or other TV program to obtain good localized advanced weather information.

2. When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash-To-Bang (F-B) method to determine its’ rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, a F-B of 10 = 2 miles; 15 = 3 miles; 20 = 4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.

3. Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be some 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away. Why take a chance with lightning?

ng pools are connected to a much larger surface area via underground water pipes, gas lines, electric and telephone wiring, etc. Lightning strikes to the ground anywhere on this metallic network may induce shocks elsewhere.

The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends the following swimming pool safety procedures:

1. Designate a responsible person as the weather safety lookout. That person should keep an eye on the weather. Use a "weather radio" or the Weather Channel or other TV program to obtain good localized advanced weather information.

2. When thunder and/or lightning are first noticed, use the Flash-To-Bang (F-B) method to determine its’ rough distance and speed. This technique measures the time from seeing lightning to hearing associated thunder. For each five seconds from F-B, lightning is one mile away. Thus, a F-B of 10 = 2 miles; 15 = 3 miles; 20 = 4 miles; etc. At a F-B count of thirty, the pool should be evacuated. People should be directed to safe shelter nearby.

3. Pool activities should remain suspended until thirty minutes after the last thunder is heard. The distance from Strike A to Strike B to Strike C can be some 5-8 miles away. And it can strike much farther away. Why take a chance with lightning?