This past year was not exactly a quiet weather year. In 2011 we had more than a dozen billion-dollar weather disasters, along with a record 99 Presidential disaster declarations. There was a total of 552 tornado fatalities, which tied with 1936 for second-most tornado deaths on record, trailing only 1925 which had 794 deaths. April alone brought 748 tornadoes, a record for any month of any year. In May things did not slow down at all, bringing an EF5 tornado to Joplin, Missouri that killed at least 158 people (with additional indirect deaths), most for a single tornado in the United States since 1947. Tornado deaths overall have trended toward a gradual decrease with a yearly spike every few decades. However, one bright note for last year was that we saw our lowest number of lightning fatalities in recorded history.
While lightning fatalities have continued to decline, in even just the last 10 years, a few years have seen a slight increase. The question is, even though severe weather fatalities and damage as a whole were up this year, why was the lightning count so low? Since 1940, lightning has killed an average of 128 people per year. However, in just the last 10 years that average has dropped to just 37 per year. By comparison, 323 people per year died from lightning from 1940-1949.
Lightning Fatalities History
2011- 26 2010- 29 2009- 34 2008- 28 2007- 45 2006- 48
2005- 38 2004- 32 2003- 43 2002- 51 2001- 44 2000- 51
Started in 1940- 340 deaths Highest in 1943- 432 deaths
So why so many deaths from tornadoes, but not from lightning last year? First let's start with the tornado fatalities. NWS meteorologist Gary Woodall, who was on the storm assessment team for the record-setting April 27 outbreak stated that most of the tornado deaths were likely due to circumstances beyond people's control. "Evidence [shows that] people died while doing what they thought was the right thing. Many people who did not have a storm cellar or basement took shelter in an interior room of their home. However, a lot of the homes that were impacted were of wood-frame construction, and just could not withstand the battering of the strong and violent tornadoes," he explained.
However, that wasn't the case for everyone. "Many members of the public [we] interviewed said that, when a warning was issued, they looked for confirmation of the threat before taking action. This confirmation may have been from television or radio, from a trusted friend or family member, or in some cases, waiting to visually see the tornado. People also listened for the mention of specific towns or geographic features on which to base their action decision. With the fast speeds at which these storms were [moving fast-typically 50+ mph], looking for secondary confirmation didn’t give folks a lot of time to get to safety," Woodall revealed.
The reason the lightning deaths were so low is a bit of a trickier explanation. Some believe that the "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors" campaign has been very effective in getting the word out to people on lightning safety. Others feel that because the severe weather was so bad across the country last year that people paid more attention to their own severe weather. It's related to the "Katrina Effect". After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coasts, people were more cautious when two other category 5 hurricanes (Rita and Wilma) happened later that same year. People realized what a category 5 was capable of and took better/quicker precautions, and more people evacuated. By May of last year there were already hundreds of deaths due to severe weather, and some people say that that made people more aware of what mother nature was capable of, and, in turn, probably helped prevent more deaths from lightning.
The safest places to be during thunderstorms are, obviously, inside a building, or inside a metal-bodied and metal-roofed vehicle. If you are able to be inside a home or building, you want to keep away from electrical appliances, corded telephones, and plumbing, as lightning can travel into the house through wires and pipes. Now, while it is safe for you to be inside a vehicle during a thunderstorm, you want to avoid contact with the metal inside the vehicle. Stay in these safe places for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning has ended to allow storm clouds to clear the area.
Miss America Contestant a Lightning Safety Spokesperson. Lightning safety advocates were rooting for Ellen Bryan, Miss Ohio (below right) to win the Miss America Pageant back on 14 January. While she did not win, her work as a spokesperson for lightning safety has not gone unnoticed. Her sister Christina (below left) was struck by lightning in 2000 and suffered permanent brain damage. Ellen has made lightning safety and "when thunder roars, go indoors" her Miss America platform issue. For more lightning safety information click here.
Sources: NOAA, The Weather Channel, Washington Post, Ball State University, www.EllenBryan.com
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