Spring Safety Facts and Myths

4/6/2018 (Permalink)

• If it is not raining, then there is no danger from lightning.--- This is a myth! Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as ten miles away from rainfall. This is especially true in the western United States where thunderstorms sometimes produce very little rain.
• The rubber soles of shoes or rubber tires on a car protect you from being struck by lightning.--- This is also a myth! Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide no protection from lightning. The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.
• "Heat lightning" is a term used to describe lightning from a thunderstorm too far away for thunder to be heard.--- This is a fact!