ok, this is the second time in the past two weeks I've not been able to go swim due to thunderstorm activity.
Now don't get me wrong.. I LOOOOOVE Thunderstorms, but not being able to swim when you've looked forward to doing so since the previous evening is just no fun at all. :mad:
I was literally out the building and on my way to the Y when an clap of thunder abruptly stopped me in my tracks.. I just turned right around and went back into the building. (and onto the discussion boards of course! lol)
Anyone else go to indoor pools that close during storms? In Oklahoma during spring and early summer it sometimes ends up being like a hail mary to decide to go to practice in hopes that there won't be a storm.:rolleyes:
According to National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation:
Over the past century, lightning has consistently been 1 of the top 3 causes of weather-related deaths in this country. It kills approximately 100 people and injures hundreds more each year.
Lightning casualty statistics from Colorado demonstrate that the most common sites for fatalities were open fields (27%), near trees (16%), and close to water (13%). Statistics from the country as a whole mimic the numbers from Colorado. Open fields, ballparks, and playgrounds accounted for nearly 27% of casualties, and under trees (14%), water related (8%), and golf-related (5%) deaths associated with lightning followed. All these fatalities had 1 common denominator: being near the highest object or being the tallest object in the immediate area. This single factor accounted for 56% of all fatalities from Colorado.
Even though a swimming pool may be indoors and apparently safe, it can be a dangerous location during thunderstorms. The current can be propagated through plumbing and electric connections via the underwater lights and drains of most swimming pools. Lightning current can also enter the building, either into the electric wiring inside the building or through underground plumbing pipelines that enter the building. If lightning strikes the building or ground nearby, the current will most likely follow these pathways to the swimmers through the water. Thus, indoor-pool activities are potentially dangerous and should be avoided during thunderstorms.
Avoid taking showers and using plumbing facilities (including indoor and outdoor pools) and land-line telephones during thunderstorm
According to National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation:
Over the past century, lightning has consistently been 1 of the top 3 causes of weather-related deaths in this country. It kills approximately 100 people and injures hundreds more each year.
Lightning casualty statistics from Colorado demonstrate that the most common sites for fatalities were open fields (27%), near trees (16%), and close to water (13%). Statistics from the country as a whole mimic the numbers from Colorado. Open fields, ballparks, and playgrounds accounted for nearly 27% of casualties, and under trees (14%), water related (8%), and golf-related (5%) deaths associated with lightning followed. All these fatalities had 1 common denominator: being near the highest object or being the tallest object in the immediate area. This single factor accounted for 56% of all fatalities from Colorado.
Even though a swimming pool may be indoors and apparently safe, it can be a dangerous location during thunderstorms. The current can be propagated through plumbing and electric connections via the underwater lights and drains of most swimming pools. Lightning current can also enter the building, either into the electric wiring inside the building or through underground plumbing pipelines that enter the building. If lightning strikes the building or ground nearby, the current will most likely follow these pathways to the swimmers through the water. Thus, indoor-pool activities are potentially dangerous and should be avoided during thunderstorms.
Avoid taking showers and using plumbing facilities (including indoor and outdoor pools) and land-line telephones during thunderstorm
