- NOAA

June, July, and August are the peak months for lightning-related fatalities in the United States and injures more people annually than Tornadoes and Hurricanes combined.

Are your prepared? Enjoy your summer, but keep these Lightning Safety tips in mind:

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to get struck. Lightning bolts can strike up to 10-miles from the base of a thunderstorm.
• Many lightning injuries occur when people leave shelter too soon after a thunderstorm has passed. Avoid tragedy and wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike before resuming outdoor activities.
• Lightning follows the path of least resistance. If you cannot find indoor shelter, stay low to the ground and away from tall objects (like trees). Your vehicle is usually the safest choice if stranded outdoors.

Weather Defender can be configured to deliver weather alerts in a variety of ways. Learn how to send weather alerts to an e-mail address or cell phone text message in this tutorial:

Watch Tutorial Now

"As a summer camp that happens to be located in Tornado Alley, we take threatening weather very seriously. We trust Weather Defender to help protect our staff and the 1,500 kids we host each summer from severe weather. Whenever lightning or tornadic storms are nearby, we receive weather alerts directly on our cell phones so we always know what is coming and when it's time to take action."

David C. Coker
Executive Director
Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries
Ashland, Nebraska
www.nlom.org