Lightning strike caused two-alarm fire in Charlotte. Could one hit your home?
A lightning strike in the midst of the thunderstorm hit a Charlotte apartment complex Sunday morning that caused a two-alarm fire, The Charlotte Observer reported.
While homes, building structures and hard top vehicles offer the safest shelters during thunderstorms, open structures and open outdoor spaces still are places you should avoid during a thunderstorm.
If you’re worried about the likelihood of lightning striking your house, here’s what you should know.
How likely are homes and structures to be hit by lightning?
About one-third of lighting-strike injuries occur indoors, according to the CDC,
Harry Gerapepritis, a forecaster for the National Weather Service Forecaster in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, explained that typically, the lightning rates across most of western North Carolina, which includes the Charlotte area, are about one half to one-third of the lightning rate.
“If you were just to make some inferences based on that, you could say since the flash density rate for Florida is about three times as high as it is for the Charlotte area. One could argue that a house would be three times as likely to get hit by lightning in Florida as it is here,” Gerapepritis said.
In terms of the annual rate of lightning strikes compared to Florida, which Gerapepritis said is the “lightning capital of the U.S.” , “any given location there (Florida) versus here, it’s going to be about one-third here.”
The odds of a person being struck by lightning, according to the National Weather Service, is one and 1,222,000 in a given year and one and 15,300 in your lifetime.
How your home could be hit by lightning
Summer storms grow very tall – some can reach thirty to fifty thousand feet off the ground. Storms like that are far more likely to have a strong updraft. With an updraft like that, you get separation of charge. Separating the charge is what creates the lightning strike, according to Gerapepritis.
“In the summertime, it depends a little on whether it’s going to be really strong and tall storms in which case the lightning will be especially frequent. Those are the ones especially you worry about,” Gerapepritis said.
The National Weather Service advises everyone “when thunder roars, go indoors.” Even if there isn’t extremely frequent lightning at the time, it only takes one time to injure or kill.
“In our area, we’re starting to get to that peak time where the thunderstorm occurrence becomes more frequent each afternoon and evening,” Gerapepritis said.
‘In terms of safety, it’s important to be inside.’
Generally, if you hear thunder, it’s important to head in. And if you’re in a location where you aren’t able to get inside the building, the second best place to go is inside of your car. Being inside your car acts like a Faraday cage where it carries the charge around the exterior of the car. It’s not as safe as being inside the house, but Gerapepritis says, “it’s like the next best thing.”
It’s difficult to avoid strikes completely in and around your house. Some people have gone to lengths to install lightning rods.
“The outcomes have been a little bit mixed on that. The safer thing is just to make sure everything in your home is on a good suppressor,” Gerapepritis said.
What to do if lightning hits your home
Make sure everyone in the house is OK. If more than one person is struck, be sure to treat those who are unconscious first, The New York State Health Department said.
Usually, those who are struck may “appear dead with no pulse or breath,” according to The New York State Health Department. However, that person can often be revived with CPR.
“This is something you would want to do, especially if it was really loud or you heard a crack, heard loud pops, or even saw sparks,” Gerapepritis said.
Gerapepritis advised to look and smell for fire. If you do find fire, call 911 and evacuate.
How to stay safe during thunderstorms
Avoid all contact with plumbing and running water. This means showering, washing dishes or bathing as lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing system, which includes both metal and plastic pipes.
Stay unplugged from all electrical outlets. Computers, laptops and even washers and dryers can be a risk since lightning can travel through electrical systems and metal wires or bars.
Yes, lightning can travel through concrete walls and flooring. So, it’s best to stay away from concrete walls or floors.
While cell phones are safe to use during a thunderstorm, the CDC advises to never use a corded phone during a thunderstorm.
