Cell Phones Don't Attract Lightning

Despite a study by doctors in the U.K. that says using cell phones during thunderstorms could be fatal, lightning experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) say that lightning is not attracted to people using cell phones.

The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, caused a lot of misconceptions about the use of cell phones during stormy weather. Dr. Swinda Esprit of Northwick Park Hospital in Middlesex, U.K. and colleagues describe the case of a 15-year-old girl who was struck by lightning last year while using her cell phone in a London park. The girl suffered an asystolic cardiac arrest but was resuscitated. One year later, she remains in a wheelchair and also has a permanently perforated eardrum and hearing loss on the side where she was holding the cell phone.

The researchers found three more cases reported in newspapers in China, Korea and Malaysia since 1999 that resulted in death after the people were struck by lightning while using their cell phones outdoors during storms.

NOAA states that cell phones, small metal items, jewelry, etc., do not attract lightning. People are struck because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place is anywhere outside and the wrong time is anytime a thunderstorm is nearby.

In the United States, on average, lightning is responsible for 66 fatalities annually. Additionally, hundreds of people are injured by lightning. People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression, and an inability to sit for long.

NOAA offers these tips for anyone outdoors when a thunderstorm is nearby:

If the sky looks threatening or you hear thunder, you are in danger of being struck and should get inside a sturdy and enclosed building or hard-topped metal vehicle immediately. Remember, "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors."

Use the 30-30 rule where visibility is good and there is nothing obstructing your view of the thunderstorm. When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If that time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is within 6 miles of you and is dangerous. Seek shelter immediately.

The threat of lightning continues for much longer period than most people realize. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before leaving shelter. Don't be fooled by sunshine or a blue sky.

If it is cloudy or objects are obscuring your vision, get inside immediately. It is always safer to take precautions than to wait.

If a person is struck by lightning, medical care may be needed immediately to save the person's life. Cardiac arrest and irregularities, burns, and nerve damage are common in cases where people are struck by lightning. However, with proper treatment, including CPR if necessary, most victims survive a lightning strike, although the long-term effects on their lives and the lives of family members can be devastating.

Some facts about lightning:

The annual odds of being struck by lightning are about 576,000 to 1. The annual odds of being killed are about 2.32 million to one.

Florida is the most dangerous state for lightning; Alaska and Hawaii are the least dangerous, with zero reported lightning deaths.

The most dangerous month for lightning is July, and 3 p.m. is the most dangerous time of day.

Men, incidentally, account for 84 percent of lightning deaths.