Lightning Strikes In Horse Pastures

LIGHTNING STRIKES IN HORSE PASTURES Each day, approximately 44,000 thunderstorms happen across the globe. Certain areas are more prone Human lightning fatalities, 2004 - 2013 to thunderstorms then others, and have what's called a high flash density. In these areas, your odds of getting struck by lightning are a lot higher, which is why there are more deaths due to lightning in these areas. Horses in these areas have a higher 1 6. 11 13 10 18 12 10 13 12 6. 11 2 8 11 16 risk of getting struck by lightning, since they spend alot of their time outside. Most lightning strikes occur between June and September during the late afternoon to early evening 10 22 46 hours. high low Vaisala's National Lightning Detection Network® (NLDN®) Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Incidence in the Continental U.S. (1997 - 2012) odds of a horse being struck by lightning in a given year in the United States. Average Flash Density fl/sq milyr 1 33 I 27 to 33 1 21 to 27 I 18 to 21 I 15 to 18 I 12 to 15 to 12 to 9 to 6 to 3 I 0.25 to 1 0+ to 0.25 VAISALA MOST COMMON LIGHTNING STRIKES IN HORSES // © Vaisala 2013. All rights reserved. For display purposes only - any other use is prohibited without prior written consent from Vaisala. BARN FIRE CONTACT STRIKE SIDE FLASH DIRECT STRIKE GROUND CURRENT The horse is touching an object that is in the pathway of the lightning Horse intercepts a portion of the lightning current that flows radially outward from the ground strike. A lightning bolt hits the horse directly from the sky. Lightning strikes an object near the horse and a portion of the energy jumps from the object to the horse. Horses are inside of a barn which doesn't have a lightning protection system. current. 41.2% 14% 16.8% 1% 27% ////. HOW TO LOWER RISK OF LIGHTNING STRIKE Bring horses inside to a lightning protected barn when forecast calls for a thunderstorm in the Install a lightning protection system on horse shelters or isolated tree horses frequently stand under. ш Ш Цш Цш area. ш шр ту ш ш1ш Ш A Ш Ш ш Fence off isolated trees and streams from pastures. Electrical fences should be grounded. Remove isolated trees. Sources Vaisala, Inc. - data are from Vaisala's National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) that is owned and operated by Vaisala http://firesafetyinbarns.com/articles/lightening-protection/ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140514205758.htm http://discovertheodds.com/what-are-the-odds-of-being-struck-by-lightning/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/06/27/how-lightning-kills-and-injures-victims/ http://www.favalelightningprotection.com/blog/2012/11.aspx http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/US-Army-Lightning-Protection-Safety-Guide.pdf http://www.crh.noaa.gov/Image/pub/ltg2/hirez_world_annual_flashrate_72dpi.jpg http://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/article_d- bc1012b-focc-5632-9fea-547e8234aa1a.html?mode=jqmbc1012b-focc-5632-9fea-547e8234aa1a.html?mode=jqm Horse DVM .com