The National Lightning Safety Council is recognizing National Lightning Safety Awareness Week for the week of June 21-27 and International Lightning Safety Day on June 28.
National Lightning Safety Awareness Week was started in 2001 to call attention to this hazardous natural phenomenon. Since then, U.S. lightning fatalities have dropped from around 50 per year to less than 30 per year. This reduction in fatalities is largely due to a greater awareness of lightning danger and people seeking safety when thunderstorms threaten. For this year’s campaign, the National Lightning Safety Council encourages the public to learn more about lightning and lightning safety with a different theme each day of the week highlighting educational resources from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The topics for each day during the week are:
International Lightning Safety Day was established in 2015 in memory of the 18 students that were tragically killed by a single lightning strike on June 28, 2011 at the Runyanya Primary School in rural Uganda, Africa. One adult teacher was also killed and not less than 50 additional children were injured by the lightning strike and resulting fire. The complete resolution of the International Symposium on Strategic Interventions to Mitigate the Hazard from Lightning recognizing International Lightning Safety Day can be read HERE.
U.S. lightning fatality statistics can be reviewed HERE. Additional lightning safety resources from the National Lightning Safety Council can be accessed HERE.
The mission of the National Lightning Safety Council is to promote lightning safety through education and awareness. The council consists of lightning safety professionals working to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property from lightning.