What is the chance of surviving a lightning strike? Consequences of lightning striking a person. Facts and fictions. Amazing abilities revealed in people after defeat

Due to the fact that a lightning strike is not useful for humans, you and I must protect ourselves as much as possible from being hit by it. more prone to accidental contact with lightning than city running, especially if we're talking about about the hills and mountains where you are the highest point of the landscape.

How lightning appears

The main role in the formation of lightning is played by photoionization and high-energy cosmic particles, which create a shower of charged particles in the atmosphere. Both mechanisms lead to a branched discharge form, often with side channels of varying power with average speed about 200 km/s.

Near the surface of the earth (water), under the influence of the electric field of lightning, a counter discharge is emitted from some point, which merges with the main one at a height of about 30-50 m (lightning orientation height). The main discharge occurs through the formed ionized channel. Usually lightning consists of 2-3 repeated discharges, sometimes there can be dozens of them. The total duration of lightning reaches 0.2 - 1 s.

It is important to understand that the arrival of a lightning discharge to the surface of the earth at the orientation height - random event, which is impossible to influence. You can only influence the location of the release of the oncoming streamer by installing a high lightning rod for this.

Despite the high probability, it is not at all necessary that a lightning strike may fall on the highest point created by man specifically for this purpose. There are often cases of it hitting, for example, a power line support closer to the ground, bypassing the lightning conductor wire at the very top.

How often does lightning strike a person?

You should not be guided by statistics that say that lightning strikes a person extremely rarely. Because in most cases, statistics do not take into account too many factors and only take into account the total number of people and the total number of thunderstorms.

In fact, if you consider the number of lightning strikes in nature, during trails, cycling, hiking and running, and not in cities, among skyscrapers and radio antennas, then the percentage of the probability of a strike increases significantly. Several times.

It should be taken into account that cases of lightning striking a person are not always recorded if the outcome was not fatal. And it is fatal in 20% of cases, according to published data. Unfortunately, not everyone who is lucky enough to survive can return to a full life due to various injuries in nervous system or in the musculoskeletal system.

However, runners are occasionally struck by lightning, after which they are able to not only survive, but also continue the race to the finish line. Ultramarathoners and cyclists are, of course, more likely than other athletes to encounter lightning. For them the tracks have great length, including time, and can pass through completely different weather and relief conditions.

Be that as it may, the absence of damage to the body after an encounter with lightning is an exception, so we should still know the basics of safety when caught in a thunderstorm.

Rules of behavior in a thunderstorm

1. Most safe place during a thunderstorm it is a building. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a house or a store, but if you have the opportunity to wait out the passage of a thunderstorm front directly above you, you should take advantage of it. A car is also a suitable option, which in fact is a Faraday cage if the body is made of aluminum. However, in all cases, contact with metal surfaces and lines, such as fittings, wiring, and radiators, must be avoided.

2. Don't be the tallest object on the ground, because in this case you can play the role of a lightning rod. Although it all depends on the soil under you and its heterogeneity. The same applies to other free-standing objects - which is why it is not recommended to hide under the only tree in a field. Lightning will take the shortest path to the ground through a tree, which can simply explode with a strong discharge and, in addition, slightly concuss you.

Wood has a fairly large inductive resistance, and if it is also highly curved, then we can expect the formation of additional ionized channels with lower resistance next to it. The human body is great for this.

3. Even in a dense forest, you need to wisely choose a place to wait out the bad weather. The tallest trees here are natural lightning rod. The safest option is to locate under the dense canopy of the shortest trees or shrubs.

4. If a thunderstorm finds you in an open field, then the best option- this is to sit down as much as possible closer to the ground in the fetal position on the driest ground and wait it out. It may be wet and uncomfortable, but it is the safest.

5. Conductive materials During a thunderstorm, they become bad friends, including your carbon trekking poles or your aluminum or carbon fiber bike. Especially if you wave them over your head. This equally applies to any accumulations of metal near you, be it poles, pipes, wires or fences. During thunderstorms, stay at least 30 meters away from them.

We have listed the basic rules for behavior in a thunderstorm, but there are also other recommendations, some of which are still controversial and do not have convincing evidence. But they are easy to implement, so do not neglect them.

These include the use mobile communications and lighting a fire: cases of lightning strikes have been recorded when communicating over mobile phone. As well as lightning strikes into fires and chimneys due to the high conductivity of smoke.

It is worth remembering that rubber running shoe sole in the case of lightning it does not work and does not pose any obstacle to it. If the path is the shortest, and the soil conductivity conditions are favorable for the formation of an oncoming streamer at the “preparatory stage” of lightning formation, then the discharge will pierce any such insulator. This is not for you to tinker with rubber boots in your home electrical panel.

Where does lightning strike most often?

As a rule, a lightning discharge travels along the path with the highest electrical conductivity. On land in places with more electrically conductive soil, even those in lowlands. This is explained not by the easier passage of the main discharge (it will make its way through any insulator) but by the lighter currents that pull up the charges opposite sign and the creation of streamers.

In the city, lightning most often, for obvious reasons, hits lightning rods. And also in the highest grounded structures, such as television towers and radio towers. However, in nature, everything is not always so simple, although the principle of the highest objects remains in most cases.

There is a connection between the type of tree and its susceptibility to lightning strikes. Most often, lightning strikes oaks, poplars, and elms. It rarely gets into spruce, pine, fir - they contain a lot of oils, so they have high electrical resistance. Very rarely - in birches and maples.

Always added to the electrical properties of the trees themselves is the influence of the composition of the soil on which they grow: sandy and rocky areas safer than clay.

Safety cone

This term is used when a man-made lightning rod (more precisely, a lightning rod) is used to protect what is located underneath it. The reliable protection zone (no more than 30 m in height) is limited by a cone directed downward from the top of the lightning rod with an angle from the vertical of 30°. Sometimes you can find erroneous information about 45°, but this is outdated data.

Ball lightning

Research physicists believe that when a guest such as ball lightning, the worst option is to run and move at all. This is associated with the appearance of air vortices that can attract a bunch of energy directly to their source, that is, to you.

The theory is not without inaccuracies and it is not entirely clear how this may manifest itself, depending on the distance. There is no confirmed data on this yet either, but it’s better to keep this in mind and save it when we see ball lightning calmness. Fortunately, 80% of cases of ball lightning explosions do not have serious consequences for the observer.

But what you definitely shouldn’t do when meeting her is trying to touch her, drive her away with something, or otherwise make contact. This usually ends in an explosion near the contactor.

Study weather conditions

Before training, especially if it will take place away from settlements who have reliable shelter, it is better to study the weather forecast from different sources. It is better, like pilots, to update the weather report every half hour.

We should only be interested in the possibility of thunderstorm formation in the forecast, since we can continue training in the rain without any problems. Or at least safe to return home under it. But In the event of a thunderstorm, you should not run or ride a bike, because in this way we seriously increase the likelihood of being injured by a discharge.

Distance to thunderstorm

Among other things, you need to know when a storm front is approaching you and when it begins to move away. This is very easy to understand if you time the time from the flash to the sound wave. Its contraction means that a thunderstorm is approaching, and its increase means it is moving away. And knowing the speed of sound, which travels approximately 1 km in 3 seconds, you can easily calculate the distance to the epicenter.

But when the epicenter of a thunderstorm moves away from you and after the rain stops, you shouldn’t immediately run out into the open and do a workout. The likelihood of being struck by lightning remains even after a front has clearly passed over you and the sky appears blue. The same applies to the time before a thunderstorm. Least 30 minutes before and after a thunderstorm It is necessary to exercise the same caution as in the midst of bad weather.

First aid for lightning strikes

If there is a person next to you who has been struck by lightning, do not be afraid to touch him - no charge remains in the victim’s body. You must give him first aid immediately.

The main cause of death from a lightning strike is disruption of the heart and lungs. Therefore, the victim should undergo artificial respiration and cardiac massage.

To feel safe during a thunderstorm, you need to know where and how to use protective equipment, which is available in a wide range today. The topic of protection from atmospheric electricity is just as broad, so there is quite a lot of material to familiarize yourself with.

Let's start in order. On the territory of the European part of Russia there are an average of 25-30 thunderstorm days per year, and even more to the east. The main part of them falls on spring-summer period. “I love thunderstorms at the beginning of May...” wrote the classic. Yes, it is in spring and summer that atmospheric electrical discharges - lightning - most often occur.

During a severe thunderstorm, up to a hundred lightning bolts or more can strike the ground. But since the thunderstorm passes over a relatively large area, the probability of it hitting the house is not very high; True, such a case cannot be ruled out. However, most private houses do not have an external lightning protection system.

The danger of lightning lies not only in the direct impact of an electrical discharge into the house, but also into objects and soil near the house. Moreover, the probability of such a hit is much higher than directly in a residential building, because there are many similar objects and they are located over a wider area. The consequences of such shocks can be significant for a residential building and its electrical equipment, so every home should be equipped with an internal surge protection system.

What determines the probability of being struck by lightning?

The risk of lightning striking a building is influenced by several factors. First of all, this is the frequency of thunderstorms in a particular region, which can be determined using a special thunderstorm map. The height of the building and its location also matter. Let's say, a three-story house standing on a hill in a desert area is much more susceptible to lightning strikes than a one-story house surrounded by tall trees. The mathematics here is simple - the fewer objects of comparable height around, the higher the probability of being struck by lightning. The likelihood also increases due to architectural features such as a mezzanine, round roof, towers, spiers, weather vanes, etc. If the height of the house is more than 15 m, then it must be equipped with an external lightning protection system.

The nature of lightning

Lightning is a powerful electrical discharge that is accompanied by a bright flash and thunder. The lightning discharge current can reach 100,000 A, while the air temperature inside the discharge exceeds 25,000°C.

When a critical amount of negative charges accumulates in the lower layer of clouds, and positive charges on the surface of the earth, an atmospheric discharge occurs.

Lightning moves downward - from the cloud to the ground. During the discharge process, lightning transfers a huge amount of electrical charges towards the ground. The discharge itself can last a fraction of a second, but in this short period of time the cloud manages to neutralize its potential. The power of lightning's electrical charge is thousands of times greater than in a home network. It is not difficult to guess how dangerous this can be.

Linear lightning- the most common type of thundercloud discharge. This is the type of lightning we see most often. They flare up as luminous veins connecting the cloud and the ground. The spectacle is impressive, but if you watch it from afar. Lightning striking nearby is terrifying and extremely dangerous. When a discharge hits a building or tree, a fire most often occurs.

A linear lightning discharge often neutralizes only part of the cloud, so you can see how lightning strikes many times in approximately the same direction. What we call lightning is a series of several discharges, the number of which can reach several dozen. With strong discharges, lightning can last 1 s or more. IN certain circumstances Wind pressure can shift the “course” of lightning, causing a phenomenon known as band lightning, which, wandering, can cause several fires almost simultaneously.

Ball lightning is still one of the most mysterious and little-studied phenomena. Incredibly, even in the 21st century, nothing can be said with certainty about the nature of this phenomenon, nor can one protect against it. Ball lightning looks like a small luminous ball, with a diameter of approximately 3 to 30 cm. Some researchers attribute some intelligence to it. There are known cases when ball lightning flew into a room through an open window and left it the same way. But it happened that it exploded with monstrous force, destroying everything around. The penetration of ball lightning through a chimney looks even more mysterious. The movement of ball lightning defies the laws of physics. It can suddenly change direction, slow down, speed up, or freeze. Ball lightning can even burn a hole in window glass, without causing damage to anything else. However, it must be said that ball lightning is also quite a rare event and not everyone is destined to see it at least once in their life.

The devastating effects of lightning

If lightning strikes a person, death or serious injury occurs, and if it strikes an unprotected building external system lightning rod - fire. Hundreds of such cases are recorded in Russia every year. At the same time, much more often due to atmospheric electricity discharges, overvoltages occur in the electrical network, as a result of which electrical appliances fail. A lightning discharge can be so powerful that it becomes dangerous not only direct hit, but also hit at a considerable distance from home. The potentially dangerous radius of lightning reaches 1.5 km. Moreover, even those discharges that occur between thunderclouds are dangerous, i.e. not reaching the ground. In an unprotected electrical network, during a lightning discharge, surge voltages may occur, moving at a speed close to the speed of light. Thus, just one lightning strike is enough to knock out expensive home electrical equipment. In addition, the wiring may be damaged. The following may happen:

• damage to wiring insulation and short circuit;
• failure of electric motors, transformers, coils and almost all electrical appliances and electronic equipment (TVs, computers, control automation, etc.) connected to the network;
• failure of fire alarms and security devices.

Protecting your home's electrical system

All electrical appliances designed to operate from a household network are sensitive to overvoltage. The latter can occur not only due to a discharge of atmospheric electricity, but due to short circuits in the network, as well as switching processes. However, regardless of the cause of the surge, home networks can be protected with the right internal protection. Such protection must be installed even if there is an external lightning protection system. Comprehensive protection includes equalization connections and zone protection equipment.

Equalization connections are ensured by installing the main equipotential bus, to which the following are connected:

• main distribution board grounding points;
• metal braided cables and metal communication pipes (if available in the house);
• equalizing connections in the bathroom;
• grounding conductor of the external lightning protection system (if equipped).

Most often, the main equipotential bus is installed near the main electrical distribution panel or in the basement. Additional busbars should be installed in rooms where there is an increased risk of electric shock (bathrooms, saunas, laundries, etc.).

Zone defense involves the installation of protective devices, the function of which is to safely receive and discharge surge voltages into the ground. Today, for zonal protection, it is advisable to use new generation class C protective devices that can reduce the voltage to 1500 V, which is enough to ensure the safety of household appliances. But standard protective devices of class A, C, D can also be used. They are installed next to the main electrical panel or in the input device.

First-stage class B arresters (lightning arresters) protect the home electrical network from the consequences of lightning striking the house or nearby objects.

Class C second stage arresters (limiters) may have damage indicators, thanks to which the device can be quickly restored by replacing the protective insert.

Class D third stage limiters are installed directly close to the protected electrical appliances - in sockets, extension cords, and in the distribution board.

Today, there are arresters on the market for comprehensive protection of home electrical networks. One such device combines arresters of two and three stages of protection, as well as a separate group for protecting telephone lines.

Modern regulatory documentation does not stipulate strict requirements for installing lightning protection in private homes. The owner decides whether or not to install lightning protection for a private home. In order to assess the need to install lightning protection, let's look at the question of what lightning is, what danger it poses and what is the likelihood of a lightning strike in a house, as well as the possibility of causing harm due to secondary manifestations of lightning?

Lightning is dangerous!

Lightning is fascinating a natural phenomenon, which carries enormous destructive power. Lightning discharges carry currents up to 200 kA, and the temperature in the lightning channel reaches 3000 °C. The consequence of lightning striking a building is serious damage and a high risk of fire. All this leads to serious financial losses, as well as human casualties. In addition, the powerful electromagnetic field of lightning current leads to malfunctions and failure of electrical equipment.

Let's look at the consequences of a direct lightning strike on an unprotected house

And these are the results of secondary manifestations of lightning - pulse overvoltages

We have dealt with the danger of lightning and the undesirability of various buildings appearing in its path.
The main question is: what is the probability of lightning hitting a house?

To answer this question, you need to turn to the lightning activity map and carry out a series of calculations.

For clarity, let's carry out the calculation using a real example. Let's calculate the probability of lightning striking Vacation home dimensions 14x12 and height 10 meters located in Leningrad region.

Based on the lightning activity map, the average annual number of lightning strikes per square meter is determined. km per year. For the Leningrad region, this figure is 3.5 shocks per sq. km.

Where:
A - building length, m
B - building width, m
H - building height, m
n - average annual number of lightning strikes per 1 km2 earth's surface, 1/(km2*year)

Afterwards, we calculate the period of a direct lightning strike to the house:

For our house, the period of a lightning strike will be 1 strike in 62 years.

At first glance, the figure seems very distant. But it is worth considering that lightning will not strike exactly in the 62nd year of the house’s existence. This calculation shows that for a house of this size there is a very high probability that there will be at least 1 lightning strike in 62 years.
It is also worth considering the annual increase in thunderstorms. If, for example, after 10 years the number of lightning strikes into the ground increases to 5, then the period of lightning striking our house will be 43 years.
These figures are an order of magnitude less than the period of operation of a country house. Those. Lightning is a very real threat to every country house built.

Send us the dimensions of your house and its location, we will calculate the lightning strike period for free.

We considered the likelihood of a direct lightning strike. In addition to this danger, there is also a high probability of an impulse being carried into our home. Surge overvoltage can occur as a result of a strike to the ground next to the house, a lightning strike to a neighbor’s house, or a lightning strike to a power line.

It's up to you to decide whether to do lightning protection or not. But is it worth tempting fate?

Nature constantly amazes humanity with amazing phenomena and extraordinary creatures. But along with the sun and the rainbow, there are also a number of things that are dangerous and even fatal to humans. The consequences of a lightning strike can be very diverse, ranging from a small ornate scratch to death.

What is lightning

Lightning is a natural discharge of electricity that occurs in lower layers atmosphere of the earth. The first person to come to this theory was a scientist and famous politician. In 1752, Benjamin conducted an interesting experiment. To do this, he tied a paper kite to a rope, to which he attached a metal key. After starting a popular children's game during a thunderstorm, he got sparks from the key. It was from this time that lightning began to be actively studied as amazing phenomenon nature, and also because they quite seriously damaged houses and other buildings. According to the theory, electrical discharges originate between nearby electrified blocks or between one electrified cloud and the ground. As a result, what has accumulated is looking for a way out. A lightning strike occurs very quickly, as the discharge reaches the ground at crazy speed - in millionths of a second.

Multiple lightning

Among other things, there is multiple lightning. This is the same common phenomenon, according to experts, and even more frequent. Such lightning can have up to 40 discharges with barely noticeable intervals of a fraction of a second. The human eye is not able to see such a phenomenon, so numerous impacts can only be detected with the help of a photo recorder. When viewing time-lapse footage, there are noticeable breaks between discharges.

Lightning strikes a person

American scientists have conducted a number of studies, during which they obtained fairly clear data. In the United States, lightning occurs approximately 25 million times a year, mostly in summer months. They also found out that natural discharges rarely hit people, but, nevertheless, they pose a huge danger to humans. According to the latest data, over 12 months, more than 63 people die from lightning strikes, and about three hundred suffer, all due to the consequences of being struck by lightning. In most cases, all of these injuries could have been avoided with simple safety precautions.

What happens when a person is struck by lightning

There are cases in history where people survived an encounter with lightning, and for some it was remembered only by a few scars and stress.

In most situations, the resulting injuries turn out to be incompatible with life, or the person becomes disabled forever. The greatest danger is that a lightning strike leads to damage to internal organs, while the external integument of the body looks absolutely normal, without visible burns or wounds. The person believes that he escaped with fright and does not seek help from doctors in a timely manner. During this time, damaged organs in the body begin to become inflamed and bleed, which ultimately leads to internal bleeding and death.

The impact may cause:

• loss of vision;
• convulsions;
• paralysis;
• hearing loss;
• cardiac arrest.

The consequences of a lightning strike can be unpredictable and long-lasting. These include:

• Cataract (after a shock injury, this disease may appear several months later, so it is worth going to the doctor immediately after the injury to have your vision checked).
• Serious sleep disorder.
• Constant headache.
• Memory problems.
• Irritability and loss of quick thinking.
• Muscle cramps.
• Severe pain in the eyes.

These long-term effects of lightning may not appear immediately, but this does not reduce their danger.

How to avoid being struck by lightning

There is an opinion that if lightning strikes far away, there is nothing to be afraid of. Actually this is not true. In reality, it can strike 15 km from the place where it actually it's raining. Even if you only hear a thunderstorm but don't see any signs of lightning, you still run the risk of being electrocuted.

What to do to avoid being struck by lightning? First of all, make sure you always know the weather forecast and do not go outside during dangerous time. Do not hide from thunderstorms and lightning under trees, and also avoid tall or free-standing objects. It is also not recommended to be near water during such bad weather.

If you do find yourself in a thunderstorm, try to find shelter from it as soon as possible. The building must be equipped with grounded electrical wiring. If it happens that there are no houses nearby or at least a canopy under which you could hide, you can use a car for this purpose. But try not to touch its metal parts. If you are at home, it is best to turn off all electrical appliances, do not use the fireplace, TV, computer or other power tools, and do not talk on the phone. During bad weather, it is recommended to turn off your cell phone. Before going outside after a thunderstorm, it is recommended to wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning flash. Statistics show that the consequences of a lightning strike are caused by failure to comply with basic precautions.

Can a person survive a lightning strike?

It is not for nothing that people have been afraid of lightning for centuries, because in most cases a person dies. Despite these statistics, there are cases when strong impact some still managed to survive. This occurs when a lightning strike passes through the entire body without hitting vital organs. And also among the lucky ones were those people who have an individual increased body resistance. A current discharge entering a person refers to emergency situations. And the consequences of a lightning strike are more than serious. It is as a result of such natural disasters that a huge number of deaths are recorded. If we compare lightning with everyday lightning, it turns out that a celestial discharge is several times stronger than usual, but the consequences are almost the same.

How to protect yourself from a direct lightning strike on water

Everyone knows perfectly well that water is an ideal conductor for electricity. When lightning strikes a body of water, it is about a hundred meters around the point of impact. That is why it is not recommended to swim during lightning, or to relax near water. If you stay away from potentially dangerous places, then you will never know what the consequences of a lightning strike on a person are. But if you are fishing at this moment or you do not have the opportunity to get out of the water, then there is a chance to stay alive. The fact is that when it comes into contact with lightning, it repels it. However, it is necessary to leave the water as quickly as possible.

Trees

Hiding under trees is usually prohibited. This is understandable, because lightning always strikes the very highest point, but in fact, you can hide under them and still not know what the consequences of a lightning strike are, you just have to follow some rules. Typically, lightning strikes coniferous trees, such as pine, spruce. Also, poplars and oaks most often become victims of this element. Based on this, we come to the conclusion that it is quite possible to hide from lightning under a low tree that is not a conifer. If you are in a forest, there is a possibility that even if lightning does not strike the exact tree you are under, it may strike the plant that is next to you. Since the impact is quite strong, branches and pieces of wood fly apart at great speed. One of these fragments could easily fly off into a person. Such consequences after a lightning strike are much less common, but they still happen.

Also, under no circumstances should you run. Despite the fact that this is an understandable human reaction to any danger, in this case it can play a cruel joke. According to research, moving targets are most often struck by lightning. Therefore, if you are riding a bicycle, just jogging, or trying to escape from a thunderstorm, it is better to stop and wait out the bad weather in a calm place. This way you will increase your chances of survival. You should also not use cell phone, since discharges from it can attract the elements. Do not stand near power lines; as you know, any electricity attracts lightning. Also, you should not light a fire, since heated air has a high discharge conductivity. Metal is also an optimal conductor, so during a thunderstorm it is better to remove any metal objects that are on you. This could be watches, chains, rings, etc.

First aid

The locations of lightning strikes and the consequences of a direct strike can be very diverse, so you need to act as quickly as possible. If a person is struck by lightning and loses consciousness, the first thing to do is check for a pulse. Do not be afraid to touch the victim, since there is no longer any charge in his body. If you do not detect a pulse, you must urgently pull the tongue out of his mouth so that the person does not accidentally choke or suffocate. Next, you need to clean the oral cavity and perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. Of course, first of all you need to immediately call ambulance or take the victim to the hospital yourself. Every second can count. If he has a pulse and no visible injuries, he still needs to be taken to the hospital. As stated earlier, although everything seems fine on the outside, internal organs the victim may be damaged, and only after an examination by a doctor will it be possible to say exactly what the real damage and other consequences of lightning exposure on a person are.

Some interesting facts

Of course, if lightning strikes the head, then the person’s chance of survival is zero. In this case, the eyeballs literally explode and the victim dies instantly. In some famous cases, people fell into a coma and never came out of it. If lightning strikes other parts of the body, it generally leaves an ornate, intricate pattern on the victim’s body, which itself resembles lightning or a tree. In ancient times, such people were considered marked by God, and the dead were buried with honor.

Finally

Today it is difficult to say why lightning strikes only one person surrounded by thousands of other people. Scientists have not yet been able to identify a general algorithm or people who are predisposed to such attacks. The only thing that can be said with some certainty is that there are more and more victims of lightning every year. Therefore, it is important to adhere to certain

And in Russia, natural disasters have refuted all the laws of logic and statistics. It is believed that the probability of a person being hit by lightning is 1 in 600 thousand, but only recently three people have died from electrical discharges in our country.

It is impossible to predict where and when lightning will strike. Victims include vacationers on the banks of lakes and rivers, and residents of large cities.

Reportage Channel Five correspondent Viktor Chernoguz.

3 days after the tragedy on Lake Kaldy, everything is still the same. Adults swim and children sunbathe. Similarly, 28-year-old Svetlana came here for a picnic over the weekend. This photo was taken a couple of hours before her death. In the girl’s arms is her son, whom she tried to hide from the thunderstorm.

The girl died immediately - her son, although he received 15% of his body burns, was saved. He is now in intensive care. The scars on the body will remain for life, but serious health consequences were avoided. At the moment of the lightning strike, the mother was holding the boy in her arms and, in fact, became a lightning rod for him.

Sergey Yakovlev, traumatologist of the burn department of regional clinical hospital No. 6:“Lightning hit mom and went skin to skin.”

This summer, sky strikes are becoming more dangerous. In just one day of the tragedy in Chelyabinsk, on Friday the 13th, lightning killed two people in the Moscow region. Several more were injured in the capital itself. From one of these categories.

And this is exactly the case when it is pointless to look at the weather forecast. Where and when lightning will strike is almost unpredictable. It turns out that the most reliable way is when a thunderstorm begins, you need to peer into the sky.

Sergey Menshov, rescuer of the North-Western regional search and rescue team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia:“If you count the seconds after lightning and before thunder, divide the resulting number of seconds by three, you get the distance in kilometers.”

Every minute, 2 hundred celestial discharges fall on the planet. Often they are not even noticed. Like these tourists at the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps this is why lightning seems more and more harmless every year.

After all, lightning is essentially just a stream of charged particles. Which has long been studied and tamed by man. In the Middle Ages, such tricks would probably have gotten you burned at the stake. And today it’s just a harmless children’s attraction.

Museum visitors can not only control lightning, but even touch the electric charge. At the same time, many do not realize: only a couple of centimeters separate them from death.

Nadezhda Tikunova, consultant:“When we touch the plastic tube, we feel a tingling sensation, but if we touch the needle, there is a voltage of 2000 volts, and we can simply turn into coal.”

The leading videos in terms of the number of views on the Internet: a man is hit by lightning twice - and he survives, another similar case. But these are, of course, exceptions. Resuscitators know: the vast majority of patients do not even have time to get to the hospital. Although often, in the first minutes after a blow, a person can still be saved. Using the simplest methods

Konstantin Krylov, head of the burn center of the Institute of Emergency Medicine named after. I. I. Dzhanelidze:"Breathing mouth to mouth - best option. Movement of hands up and down and rhythmic, massage on 4 points in the heart area.”

The first lightning rod in Russia was installed exactly 240 years ago. On Peter and Paul Fortress. But still in St. Petersburg, old houses are almost equipped with lightning traps. It turns out that a picnic by the lake and a walk through the famous well yards are equally dangerous. You can console yourself with statistics: only one person in 600,000 has a chance of being struck by lightning. But rescuers all recommend learning the rules of behavior at the first sounds of thunder. After all, thunderstorms are expected often this summer.