Lightning Facts for Moore Residents

12/20/2021 (Permalink)

As one of the leading weather-related causes of death or injury in the nation, lighting deserves to be understood better so we can be both awed and avoidant of it.

At SERVPRO® of Moore, we strive to be knowledgeable, proactive and preventative in approaching the stormy seasons of Oklahoma.

Here are some flash facts about lightning:

• While the speed of light (when we see the bolt) is 670,000,000 mph, the actual speed of a strike is only 27,000 mph. Need help visualizing this? Imagine traveling to the moon in only 55 minutes.
• Everyday, there are over 3 million flashes of lightning (about 44 strikes each second). The earth is struck by lightning more than 100 bolts each second.
• Lightning can help plants grow through creating nitrogen oxides by its heat and combining with moisture to provide nitrate-rich water for plants.
• The width of a bolt is only about 2 to 3 centimeters (about the size of a thumb) but it spans a length of about 2 to 3 miles.
• Lightning can reach up to 50,000°F, which is about 5x hotter than the sun’s surface.
• Thunderstorms aren’t the only source of lightning; it can be found in volcanic eruptions, forest fires, nuclear detonations, snowstorms and hurricanes.
• Using surge protectors won’t actually protect your appliances against direct strikes, so make sure to unplug all of your equipment.
• Using the phone while indoors is actually the leading cause of injuries by lightning within a household.
• You can easily be struck by lightning even if the eye of the storm is 10 miles away.

Lightning isn’t something to mess with or worth taking any chances at the risk of death or injury. It must be taken seriously, but we can admire the beauty and nature of lightning without compromising our safety.

And should your home or commercial property incur any damage from a lightning strike or other severe weather event, we're on call 24/7 and faster to any disaster. Just give us a call at (405) 289-9401 and we'll be on our way.