Backcountry Beacon

To date, two people have been killed by lightning in 2010 and 24 have been injured. As we head into the summer, those numbers are destined to spike thanks to the increasing prevalence of afternoon thunderstorms and the simple fact that more people are spending time out of doors. In fact, June, July, and August account for 73% of reported lightning strike incidents.

True, your odds of getting struck are fairly low (about one in 500,000 in any given year) and much better if you don’t live in Florida, Michigan, New York, or Texas. If you get unlucky, you still have a nine-in-ten chance of surviving the strike. However, lightning strike survivors are very often never the same as before, suffering ongoing symptoms including memory loss, headaches, fatigue, depression, joint pain, and insomnia. (Heightened extra-sensory powers have also been reported, but don’t count on it.)

So how do you avoid becoming a statistic? You’ve probably heard all this before, but as a public service we’ll run a few reminders by you.

Number one, and most effective―avoid setting yourself up for a dangerous situation in the first place. Know weather patterns in your area, be aware of approaching fronts, and even know what a dangerous cloud looks like. Keep an eye out while on your hike, and react conservatively to the first sign of bad weather. Hair standing on end? Big trouble.

What if you get caught by bad weather? Getting indoors is by far the best policy when a thunderstorms rolls around, but if you’re in the backcountry far from an enclosed building or your vehicle, it’s not an option. Move to safer terrain as soon as you hear thunder, not when the storm is upon you. Avoid peaks, ridges, and significantly higher ground. Wide-open ground also offers high exposure during an electrical storm. Keep in mind that tents in these locations are unsafe as well (something to consider when you’re picking a spot to pitch a tent for the night). Rolling terrain, depressions, or ravines will be your best bet (although, if the rain is really coming down, don’t forget the danger of flash floods). Entrances to caves are also dangerous; either go deeper in or get out, but don’t linger near the mouth.

Big no-no: Do NOT take shelter under a tree. Think of it as a giant lightning rod—while it may come in handy to shelter you from pelting rain or golf-ball hail, resist the temptation. Be especially cautious of trees at the edge of water. Being in a forest of similarly sized trees is better than isolated specimens. Also, avoid horizontal conductors like metal fences, power lines, phone lines, railway tracks, handrails, measuring tapes, bridges, and other metal objects. They can conduct lightning current even if they’re at some distance from the lightning ground strike point. Climbers, keep in mind that wet, extended ropes can be just as dangerous as metal wires.

If you’ve done the best you can to find a safe spot, you can also take a few other personal precautions. NOLS Curriculum and Research Manager John Gookin recommends assuming the “lightning position”―squatting with your feet together and your arms wrapped around your legs or head, with the idea of presenting as small a target as possible. While the efficacy of the lightning position has been debated, NOLS also recommends taking some other steps that can’t hurt, including putting some distance between yourself and metal objects like your backpack (if it has a metal frame), trekking poles, axes, and climbing equipment. Sitting or standing on insulated objects, like a foam pad or a soft pack of clothes, can also help.

It may sound a little morbid, but also put some distance (50 feet) between yourself and your companions. That way, should one of you get hit, the odds of someone being around who can help are much better. Traveling with people who know CPR is helpful, since cardiac arrest is a common outcome of a lightning strike.

The take-away? As with most backcountry adventures, be prepared, be smart.

Related Posts:

• Monday Q&A: Skis, Boots, Beacons, & More
• Late Season Camping Destinations
• Trip of the Month: Uinta Mountains, Utah

Tags: backpacking, hiking, outdoor survival, weather