TO: ALL WEST VIRGINIA ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM WV SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 10.21 DATE: May 23, 2010
SUBJECT: NOTHING IS FOOL PROOF
When trying to protect yourself during severe weather, such as Lightening Storms, there's no sure way of being safe.
Even though you may reduce the chances of taking a lightening hit by disconnecting your outside antennas, and using a smaller antenna in your attic, or other parts of your house, as suggested in WV ARES Bulletin NR 10.19, they too can be hit. Lightening is looking for a path to ground, and if you, or your antenna, are in its way, you can still take a hit.
Lightening doesn't always take the path of least resistance as you may have heard. I've seen lightening go straight to the ground, and miss hitting a 50 foot tower by ten feet. Lightening has a mind of it's own, and you can't predict where, or what's it's going to hit.
The best thing you can do is be sure you have everything grounded with a good ground and ground connections. The better the grounding system that you have, the better the chances you have of staying safe, and protecting you, and your equipment. Make sure that if lightening is going to strike, that it has a
good path to ground, and that it doesn't go looking elsewhere for
a better ground.
There's no fool proof way of staying safe during a Lightening Storm.
(Idea for this bulletin from Dirk Burnside, WD8PAD)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator