July 1997 • Revised June 1998

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports acknowledges

the significant input of Brian L. Bennett, ATC, College of William and Mary and Ronald L. Holle

and Raul Lopez of the National Severe Storms Laboratory in thendevelopment of this guideline.

Lightning is the most consistent and significant weather hazard that may affect intercollegiate athletics.

Within the United States, the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) estimates that

100 fatalities and 400-500 injuries requiring medical treat-ment occur from lightning strikes every year.

While the probability of being struck by lightning is extremely low, the odds are significantly

greater when a storm is in the area and the proper safety precautions are not followed.

Prevention and education are the keys to lightning safety. Education begins with background information

on lightning. The references associated with this guideline are an appropriate resource. Preven-tion

should begin long before any intercollegiate athletics event or practice. The following steps are

recommended by the NCAA and NSSL to mitigate the lightning hazard :

1 . Designate a chain of command as to who monitors threatening weather and who makes the

decision to remove a team or individuals from an athletics site or event. An emergency plan

should include planned instructions for participants as well as spectators .

2 . Obtain a weather report each day before a practice or event. Be aware of potential thunderstorms

that may form during scheduled intercollegiate athletics events or practices .

3 . Be aware of National Weather Service-issued (NWS) thunderstorm "watches" and "warnings" as well

as the signs of thunderstorms developing near-by. A "watch" means conditions are favorable for severe

weather to develop in an area; a "warning" means that severe weather has been reported in an area and for

everyone to take proper precautions .

4 . Know where the closest "safe structure or location" is to the field or playing area, and know how long it

takes to get to that safe structure or location. Safe structure or location is defined as:

a . Any building normally occupied or frequently used by people, i.e., a building with plumbing and/or

electrical wiring that acts to electrically ground the structure. Avoid using shower facilities for safe

shelter and do not use the showers or plumbing facilities during a thunderstorm.

b . In the absence of a sturdy, frequently inhabited building, any vehicle with a hard metal

roof (not a convertible or golf cart) and rolled-up windows can provide a measure of safety. A vehicle is

certainly better than remaining outdoors. It is not the rubber tires that make a vehicle a safe shelter, but the

hard metal roof which dissipates the lightning strike around the vehicle. DO NOT TOUCH

THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE!

5 . Be aware of how close lightning is occurring. The flash-to-bang method is the easiest and

most convenient way to estimate how far away lightning is occurring. Thunder always accompanies

lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished due to background noise in the

immediate environment, and its distance from the observer. To use the flash-to-bang method,

count the seconds from the time the lightning is sighted to when the clap of thunder is heard.

Divide this number by five to obtain how far away (in miles) the

lightning is occurring. For example, if an individual counts 15 seconds between seeing the flash

and hearing the bang, 15 divided by five equals three; therefore, the lightning flash is approximately

three miles away. Lightning awareness should be increased with the first flash of lightning or the first clap

of thunder, no matter how far away. This activity must be treated as a wake-up call to intercollegiate

athletics personnel. The most important aspect to monitor is how far away the lightning is

occurring, and how fast the storm is approaching, relative to the distance of a safe shelter.

Specific lightning-safety guidelines have been developed with the assistance of the National Severe

Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

1 . As a minimum, NSSL staffstrongly recommend that by the time the monitor obtains a flash-to-bang

count of 3 0 seconds, all individuals should have left the athletics site and reached a safe structure or

location. Athletics events may need to be terminated.

2 . The existence of blue sky and the absence of rain are not protection from lightning.

Lightning can, and does, strike as far as 10 miles away from the rain shaft. It does not have to be raining

for lightning to strike.

3 . If no safe structure or location is within a reasonable distance, find a thick grove of small

trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch. Assume a crouched position on the ground with only

the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your knees and lower your head.

Minimize contact with the ground, because lightning current often enters a victim through the

ground rather than by a direct overhead strike. MINIMIZE YOUR BODY'S SURFACE AREA, AND

MINIMIZE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND! DO NOT LIE FLAT! If unable to reach safe shelter,

stay away from the tallest trees or objects (such as light poles or flagpoles), metal objects (such as

fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields. Avoid being the highest

object in a field. Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree.

4 . A person who feels his or her hair stand on end, or skin tingle, should immediately crouch,

as described in item 3.

5 . Avoid using the telephone, except in emergency situations. People have been struck by lightning

while using a land-line telephone. A cellular phone or a portable remote phone is a safe

alternative to land-line phones, if the person and the antenna are located within a safe structure or

location, and if all other precau-tions are followed.

6 . When considering resumption of an athletics activity, NSSL staff recommends that everyone

should ideally wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning or sound of thunder

before returning to the field or a c t i v i t y.

7 . People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge. Therefore,

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is safe for the responder. If possible, an injured person should be

moved to a safer location before starting CPR. Lightning-strike victims who show signs of cardiac or

respiratory arrest need emergency help quickly. Prompt, aggressive CPR has been highly

effective for the survival of victims of lightning strikes.

Note: Commercial weather warning services with sophisticated cloud-to-ground lightning detection

devices are available. They may offer a cost effective, efficient method of making accurate,

timely decisions on location and movement of lightning storms. Such services are helpful in making

decisions regarding stoppage of play, practice, evacuation and return to activity.