LIGHTNING: A DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE GLOBAL NATURAL HAZARD Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA  lecture by Walter Hays Uploading date: June 11, 2015 More lectures at Disasters Supercourse - http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/collections/collection52.htm PPT original - http://www.pitt.edu/~super7/53011-54001/53491.ppt URL: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec53491/index.htm

LIGHTNING: IGNORE AT YOUR OWN PERIL AT THIS VERY MOMENT, 1,800 THUNDERSTORMS ARE HAPPENING SOMEWHERE ON EARTH

LIGHTNING Every year, the Earth experiences an average of 25 million lightning strikes during some 100,000 thunderstorms.

LIGHTNING That means: people some-where in the world are at risk every second from more than 100 lightning bolts.

KNOWLEDGE - Perspectives BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE - Perspectives On Science, Policy, And Change

BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE Are “TOOLS” that decisionmakers can use to facilitate the minimization of the likely impacts of lightning through public and professional educational programs.

negative charge in the cloud - - - THE PHYSICS cumulonimbus clouds negative charge in the cloud - - - - - - creates positive charge on ground LIGHTNING air to ground elect-rical circuit - - - - - - creates a bolt of lightning reaching - - - DISASTER LABORATORIES - - -50,000 degrees F traveling at 100+ kph

Florida—deadliest state THE IMPACTS 2,000 deaths/yr globally 200 deaths/yr In USA Florida—deadliest state LIGHTNING Probability of death: 1:2,000,000 71 % have survived when struck Lightning Safety Tips (CDC) http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/lightning/safetytips.asp DISASTER LABORATORIES Survivors live with- - - physical and psycho-logical problems