Lightning avoidance strategies

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JimL from St Louis on 9/29/2008 11:23:40 AM:

Hi all. I am prepping for an October ride, and would like to be prepared. I am hoping for great weather obviously, but need to know what people typically do in the event they are caught out in the open or in the woods during a thunderstorm? If I am near a trailhead, I figure being under the trailhead shelters would be the best place. But what about in the middle of nowhere?

Also, other than a rain jacket, what do people use to stay relatively comfy in the rain?

Jim from St Louis on 9/29/2008 5:21:57 PM:

I see from the silence so far that everyone else must have the same plan as I do...pedal like heck to get to something resembling shelter.

dayrider from Kansas City on 9/30/2008 2:08:52 AM:

Greetings,

Two of us are planning a self-contained bicycle tour of the Katy Trail in early October. What I use during a downpour is my ground tarp for my tent or my tent fly. I suspend it between some trees and get out my ultra-light swing lounge chair and enjoy the rain. If there are not any trees from which to suspend my ground cover (which has gromets on the corners), I place the tarp over the bicycle and myself while sitting in my ultra-light sling lounge chair.

Shotgun from Juneau, AK on 9/30/2008 11:35:07 PM:

Missouri very seldomly has lightning in the fall. Actually I would not worry about it. In the event you do have lightening, the safest bet is to either stay on your bike and keep riding or find a good structure to take shelter in. Any building or trailhead shelter will work. Just don't run up in the woods and get under a big tree.

Rob from Little Rock, AR on 10/8/2008 1:41:28 PM:

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the last poster on this. Being on the bike is not safe at all,
it's not like a car where you're protected but still grounded by the rubber tires. Being in the
woods surrounded by trees of similar size is actually the safest bet. NOT under a lone tree or
under the tallest tree around, mind you.

Paul Toigo on 10/9/2008 7:25:05 AM:

Fine point note: Rubber tires do not ground a car. Rubber is actually an excellent insulator. The realitive safety from lightning strikes inside a car is provided by the metallic body that is a excellent conductor. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, so when a car gets struck by lightning, it goes through the car's body and not you.
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/vehicle_strike.html

Trek on 10/9/2008 11:13:35 AM:

It's best to not be touching anything metal on the vehicle while you're inside. If the current flow finds a path to earth ground its best to not be part of that connection.

Rob from Little Rock, AR on 10/9/2008 3:12:59 PM:

Thanks, Paul, glad to know that.

JimL from St Louis on 10/10/2008 8:14:15 AM:

So again...if I am in the middle of miles of open fields, what should I do? Get off the bike and sit in the rain until it passes? Ride on til I get to something that offers cover?

Trek on 10/10/2008 11:14:30 AM:

On the Katy there is a town every 10 miles or so. So theoretically the most miles you would have to ride if there was such an event, would be 5 to 6. If you keep your eye on the weather and any pending storm you should not find yourself in a situation where you were in the middle of nowhere with lightening bolts pelting you. Usually when we are going any distance we carry a battery powered weather radio. It can be set to receive the wave from the closest station no matter where you are. Its a handy and inexpensive way to keep track of the weather in effort to avoid a lightening storm. Although we've riden in the rain, we've never tried riding through a lightening storm and have cancelled trips when the weather wasn't favorable.

Paul Toigo on 10/10/2008 12:40:54 PM:

Just like the workplace, driving, or anything else in life, identifying/avoiding/eliminating hazards is always superior to protective or evasive methods. But if, for whatever reason, you find yourself in an open field during a lightning storm, ASK.

AVOID: Avoid water. Avoid all metallic objects. Avoid the high ground. Avoid solitary tall trees. Avoid close contact with others - spread out 15-20 ft. apart. Avoid contact with dissimilar objects (water & land; boat & land; rock & ground; tree & ground). Avoid open spaces.

SEEK: Seek clumps of shrubs or trees of uniform height. Seek ditches, trenches or the low ground. Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder.

KEEP: Keep a high level of safety awareness for thirty minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/ploutdoor.htm

Jim from St. Thomas on 10/10/2008 3:15:25 PM:

"Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder."

If there are three of you in this position, the person to the right of you should be covering their eyes and the person to the left of you should be covering their mouth.

FEEDBACK! - Please let us know if you have suggestions, corrections, complaints, or ideas. Your input is valued and appreciated - thanks in advance!

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