A Conversation for How to Survive Extreme Weather
Lightning
Gnomon - time to move on Started conversation Oct 31, 2000
If you are caught in the open during a lightning storm:
1. Keep low. Try not to be the tallest thing around. Put away your umbrella.
2. Keep away from tall things that might attract the lightning. Don't shelter under a tall tree. It's better to get soaked with rain than struck by lightning.
3. If you are genuinely stuck in the middle of a large open space and the lightning is all around you, crouch down so that you are as low as possible, keeping your feet close together, but don't lie on the ground. If you are lying on the ground when lightning hits something nearby, you may be burned as the lightning spreads out through the ground.
Lightning
Phil Posted Oct 31, 2000
Be wary of wearing jewelry if caught in a lightning storm. I've seen pictures of lightning victims as part of a first aid course (mountain first aid) and one had a gold crucifix vaporised and burnt onto his sternum. The other was one who had some coins in his pockets and they burnt through.
Two people were killed in a thunderstorm a year ago or so. They stood under a tree in Hyde Park, London. Their bodies were found by someone excersising his horse the following morning 
Lightning
The Fish Posted Nov 1, 2000
Best advice then, is to discard anything metalic as soon as possible.... Using them as "bait" is one idea I guess.... But quite a stupid one 
The best place to be in a thunderstorm is either under some form of shelter NOT A TREE!!! (This is a bad place to be.... and don't get near anything big and metalic....) Something rocky like a cave, or a bridge is good. Or to be in open low ground, using bushes as cover and hoping that there's something higher up for the static to discharge to....
The other best place to be is in a car... because if lightning does strike the car, the charge will remain on the outside of the shell... This is known as a "Faraday Cage". Hopefully there's nothing metalic inside or you'll get zapped if you touch it 
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