Lightning Safety Guidelines

No lightning safety policy guidelines will provide 100% guaranteed safety; however, following these guidelines will help avoid most casualties or injuries.

• Know that the existence of blue sky and the absence of rain are not protection from lightning. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall.
• When a storm is approaching, monitor the situation carefully.
• No place outside is safe near a thunderstorm.
• Open fields and elevated places are the most dangerous when it comes to lightning.
• The activity with the fastest rising lightning casualty rate is outdoor sports and recreation.

• At every practice, game, or outdoor event, a club or team official (coach, asst. coach,TSL, or appointed parent) should act as the lightning monitor(s). The monitor(s) must be responsible for assessing current weather conditions and relaying threat situations to the coach and or officials as appropriate.
• If you can’t see the lightning but do hear thunder, then lightning is close enough to strike you –seek shelter immediately.
• If you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If this time is 30 seconds or less, seek proper shelter immediately.
• Wait at least 30 minutes after hearing the last thunder before leaving shelter.

• Remember that no place outside is safe near thunderstorms.
• The best shelter is a large, fully enclosed, substantially constructed building.
• A vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice. Stay inside the vehicle with windows up – do not lean on the vehicle.

• Higher elevations
• Wide open areas, including fields
• Tall isolated objects, such as trees, poles, or light posts
• Unprotected open buildings such as pavilions, picnic shelters, or bus stops
• Metal fences and metal bleachers