España is in first place in the list of countries with the highest incidence of lightning in the world. There are 77,8 million discharges to the ground each year. Such incidence is responsible for a considerable amount of accidents and damages.
We know of several occurrences involving lightning that do not kill humans, but animals, since they are more exposed for a long period of the day.
But how to protect ourselves from the glare? This is, after all, an atmospheric phenomenon that has been with us since the beginning! The most effective way is to use lightning rods. It was in 1752, on the initiative of Benjamin Franklin, that such an experiment was put into operation, which today is common in buildings and towers, but the most appropriate place when lightning strikes is to stay at home; not go out into the street; use only cordless phone; disconnect electrical appliances from electrical current, staying away from windows, grills or sockets. If you must be outside, avoid holding long metal objects such as tripods, fishing rods or umbrellas. Horseback riding is also a risky activity, as the rider behaves like a pointe and can attract lightning.
Some places can serve as a hiding place in a storm: buses, closed metallic vehicles, buildings and housing with protection, constructions with metallic structure, boats and metallic ships closed, underground shelters, tunnels and subways, valleys, canyons or depressions in the ground. You should never stay inside barns, ravines and tents, which easily catch fire or are destroyed by the force of the discharge, nor near electrical power lines or isolated trees. Football fields and tennis courts are dangerous.
It is common in the moments before the discharge to feel the hairs standing on end or the skin itching, signs of electrical activity. We must never panic, and if we are out in the open, let us stay in the kneeling position, bent forward, with our hands placed on the knees and the head between them, imitating a sphere and not a point, as in the standing position. We should never lie on the floor, as the discharge will directly hit that surface. Let's face it: these are matters that come to frighten us, looking like measures in time of war that we only see on the news, but it's worth knowing about it.
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Particularly I am no longer alarmed at the moment of lightning. I take basic measures, but I believe that when it comes to something that we cannot avoid, there is a determinism in the effects they will produce. It is a good time to reflect, elevating our thinking and making a prayer evoking the protection of Jesus' messengers, because we are powerless in the face of certain designs. Much peace to all.
