Lightning is wreaking havoc in Florida. Previously week, lightning struck and killed two giraffes in the Lion County Safari in Loxahatchee. As though which was not unusual enough, a motorcyclist was struck and killed on his bike, while driving on I-95, in Volusia County.
“Lightning is such a common occurrence in Florida we quite often dismiss its dangers” says Ellsworth Buck, V . p . of Insurance, Florida's largest independent motorcycle insurance agency.
Motorcyclist are specifically susceptible to lightning strikes simply because they don't have the protection of a car's metal shell, reports The National Lightning Safety Council, John Jensenius. It is a common misconception the rubber on the tires of the bike will keep you safe.
Jensenius was also quick to debunk another myth, that the motorcyclist can outrun lightning, if you are traveling fast enough you can't be struck. However, lightning travels too rapidly to become outrun by humans.
The Weather Channel reports the motorcyclist who died in Florida may be the 12th person killed inside a motorcycle-related lighting death in the U.S. since 2006.
Lightning kills and injures more people in Florida than every other state. The Red Cross reports, more people are killed each year by lightning strikes, than tornadoes and hurricanes. Thunderstorms produce lightning together with damaging winds and high rain that induce flooding.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates, 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes within the U. S. each year. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles from where it's raining. Should you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to pose a threat.
All thunderstorms produce lightning. Lightning strikes cause horrific injuries. Being struck may cause burns, serious lifelong pain and permanent neurological disabilities, as well as cardiac arrest and death.
“Every year claims for lightning losses total within the hundreds of millions, reports Buck with Insurance, Florida's top independent motorcycle insurance agency.
Some safety ideas to heed during a thunderstorm are listed below.
When thunder roars, go indoors. There is no rut outside throughout a thunderstorm. If you are in the water, get out immediately. Avoid open structures such as gazebos, porches and baseball dugouts.
Lightning has a tendency to strike the tallest object in the area and you do not want that to become you. If you are caught within an open area, such as a golf course or ball field, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you crouch down into a ball position, together with your feet and knees along with your head tucked and your hands over your ears. The idea is to get low without touching the floor. Lightning causes electric currents across the the surface of the ground that may be deadly from over 100 feet away.
If you're in a group disseminate in one another to reduce the amount of injuries if lighting strikes the ground.
Wait to go outside for 30 minutes once you hear the final thunderclap.
Someone who's struck does not carry and electrical charge and requires medical attention immediately.
Don't let a storm rob you. Insurance provides top notch motorcycle insurance to fit your budget. Give us a call today.
