The Ancient Greeks believed lightning was the work of the gods. We’re not saying they were wrong, but we are saying it wasn’t a good idea to build their worship temples on sites where lightning had struck. God-guided or not, lightning bolts are creatures of habit and often strike the same place twice. Understanding why lightning strikes where it does and taking some precautions can keep you from getting in the way of any of the 2.7 million flashes that occur across Canada every year.
Keep an eye on the weather:
Electrical storms most often occur onhot, humid afternoons when anvilshaped thunderhead clouds form. Currents of ascending warm air and descending cold air rub against each other and produce an electric charge within the cloud. Fork lightning occurs when a bolt of electricity closes the circuit between the negatively charged bottom of the cloud and the positively charged earth.
Take shelter before the storm hits:
You can calculate your distance in metres from a lightning strike by counting the seconds from ash to crash and multiplying by 300. But before assuming you are out of range remember that storms can be many kilometres in diameter and that lightning can travel laterally to strike the earth at a point not directly underneath the storm.
Don’t be the path of least resistance:
Decrease your chances of becoming a human lightning rod by not lingering on prominent ridges or canoeing across lakes before a storm. Set up camp away from tall trees and exposed places where you would become the highest point. Instead, take shelter in an area of small trees.
Know the lightning position:
Crouch on the balls of your feet to minimize your contact with the ground and insulate yourself with a sleeping mattress if possible. If you are in a group, spread out in a straight line at least five metres apart to reduce the likelihood of a strike jumping from one person to another.
If someone is struck:
Lighting strikes usually affect the body’s electrical system. The heart may stop, but it will often resume spontaneously. Look for vital signs and initiate CPR if necessary. And don’t worry, victims do not carry an electrical charge.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Canoeroots Magazine. For more great content, subscribe to Canoeroots’ print and digital editions here.
