Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Lightning in Bangladesh

Despite the significant number of fatalities and injuries, there is currently a lack of data on public knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding lightning in Bangladesh. This study aims to assess the public’s knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) towards lightning in the country. A total of 1641 individuals participated in an online KAP survey. Where appropriate, the Kruskal–Wallis or Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and logistic regression models were performed. About 65% of the survey population reported frequent lightning; most (72.64%) did not receive any warning messages, and small proportions (22.12%) had lightning safety precautions. Individuals with numerous lightning experiences perceived considerably unsafe places against lightning compared to infrequent lightning experiences (p < 0.05). Respondents reported good knowledge (56.06%), positive attitudes (82.27%), and good preventive practices (72.33%). The logistic regression demonstrated that having good knowledge and positive attitudes can help people practice lightning safety. Females demonstrated better lightning attitudes and practices compared to males. In comparison to urban residents, rural residents had poor practices. In addition, individuals’ educational levels might also play a crucial role in preparing them for lightning. Overall, extensive lightning campaign activities combined with effective education are required for the behavioral changes in this lightning-vulnerable society.

Lightning safety awareness level in Malaysia

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the countries with the highest lightning flash density globally. While sufficiency of lightning protection system is crucial to ensure human safety against lightning strikes, the public awareness towards lightning safety is also equally important in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the current lightning safety awareness level of the Malaysian population. Methods: An online questionnaire survey which consists of 22 scientific statements of lightning was first developed in Malay and English. The questionnaire allows the respondent to also check their own score upon completion of the questionnaire. It was then distributed to the public for data collection. The sample size comprised of both genders, all layers of society from various educational level and social background. Results: Overall, the awareness on lightning safety amongst Malaysian is at moderate level with an average score of slightly above 50%. Urbanites scored marginally better than their rural counterparts. One’s education level does not dictate their awareness level of lightning safety. Discussion: In conclusion, the public in Malaysia needs to be better educated on lightning safety. Similar studies should be replicated in other countries experiencing similar levels of lightning activity to better understand the public’s perception on lightning.

Lightning safety awareness level in Malaysia

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the countries with the highest lightning flash density globally. While sufficiency of lightning protection system is crucial to ensure human safety against lightning strikes, the public awareness towards lightning safety is also equally important in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the current lightning safety awareness level of the Malaysian population. Methods: An online questionnaire survey which consists of 22 scientific statements of lightning was first developed in Malay and English. The questionnaire allows the respondent to also check their own score upon completion of the questionnaire. It was then distributed to the public for data collection. The sample size comprised of both genders, all layers of society from various educational level and social background. Results: Overall, the awareness on lightning safety amongst Malaysian is at moderate level with an average score of slightly above 50%. Urbanites scored marginally better than their rural counterparts. One’s education level does not dictate their awareness level of lightning safety. Discussion: In conclusion, the public in Malaysia needs to be better educated on lightning safety. Similar studies should be replicated in other countries experiencing similar levels of lightning activity to better understand the public’s perception on lightning.

The Hazards Posed by Mesoscale Lightning Megaflashes

Lighting megaflashes extending over >100 km distances have been observed by the Geostationary Lightning Mappers (GLMs) on NOAA’s 16-series Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The hazards posed by megaflashes are unclear, however, due to limitations in the GLM data. We address these by reprocessing GOES-16 GLM measurements from 1/1/2018 to 1/15/2020 and integrating them with Earth Networks Global Lightning Network (ENGLN) observations. 194,880 GLM megaflashes are verified as natural lightning by ENGLN. Of these, 127,479 flashes occurred following the October 2018 GLM software update that standardized GLM timing. Reprocessed GLM/ENGLN lightning maps from these post-update cases provide a comprehensive view of how individual megaflashes evolve.This megaflash dataset is used to generate statistics that describe their hazards. The average megaflash produces 5-7 CG strokes that are spread across 40-50% of the flash extent. As flash extent increases beyond 100 km, megaflashes become concentrated in key hotspot regions in North and South America while the number of CG and IC events per flash and the overall peak current increase. CGs in the larger megaflashes occur over 80% of the flash extent measured by GLM, while the majority contain regions where the megaflash is the only lightning activity in the preceding hour. These statistics demonstrate that there is no safe location below an electrified cloud that is producing megaflashes and current lightning safety guidance is not always sufficient to mitigate megaflash hazards.

A Spatiotemporal Lightning Risk Assessment Using Lightning Mapping Data

A lightning risk assessment for application to human safety was created and applied in 10 West Texas locations from 2 May 2016 to 30 September 2016. The method combined spatial lightning mapping data, probabilistic risk calculation adapted from the International Electrotechnical Commission Standard 62305-2, and weighted average interpolation to produce risk magnitudes that were compared to tolerability thresholds to issue lightning warnings. These warnings were compared to warnings created for the same dataset using a more standard lightning safety approach based on National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) total lightning within 5 nautical miles of each location. Four variations of the calculation as well as different units of risk were tested to find the optimal configuration to calculate risk to an isolated human outdoors.The best performing risk configuration using risk 10min−1 or larger produced the most comparable results to the standard method, such as number of failures, average warning duration, and total time under warnings. This risk configuration produced fewer failures than the standard method, but longer total time under warnings and higher false alarm ratios. Median lead times associated with the risk configuration were longer than the standard method for all units considered, while median down times were shorter for risk 10min−1 and risk 15min−1. Overall, the risk method provides a baseline framework to quantify the changing lightning hazard on the storm-scale, and could be a useful tool to aid in lightning decision support scenarios.

Adoption of Lightning Best-Practices Policies in the Secondary School Setting

Context: Lightning-related injuries are among the top ten causes of sport-related death at all levels of sport, including the nearly 8 million athletes participating in secondary school sports. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adoption of lightning policies and the influencing factors for the development of a comprehensive policy in United States secondary schools. Design: Cross-Sectional. Setting: Secondary School. Patients or Other Participants: Athletic trainers (ATs). Main Outcome Measure(s): An online questionnaire was developed using the NATA Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation using a health behavior model, the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM), along with facilitators and barriers to identify current adoption of lightning-related policies and factors influencing adoption of lightning policies. PAPM stage (unaware for need, unaware if have, unengaged, undecided, decided not to act, decided to act, acting, maintaining) responses are presented as frequencies. Chi-square tests of associations and prevalence ratios were calculated to compare respondents in higher and lower vulnerability states, defined based on data regarding lightning-related deaths. Results: The response rate for this questionnaire was 13.43% (n=365), with additional questionnaires completed via social media (n=56). A majority of ATs reported “maintaining” (69%, n=287) and “acting” (6.5%, n=27) a comprehensive lightning policy. Approximately 1 in 4 athletic trainers (25.1%, n=106) reported using flash-to-bang as an evacuation criterion. ATs practicing in higher-vulnerability states were more likely to adopt a lightning policy than those in lower-vulnerability states (57.4% v 42.6%, PR=1.16 (1.03, 1.30); p=0.009). The most commonly reported facilitator and barrier were a requirement from a state high school athletics association and financial limitations, respectively. Conclusions: A majority of ATs reported adopting (e.g., “maintaining” and “acting”) the best practices for lightning safety. However, many AT's also reported continued use of outdated methods (e.g., flash-to-bang).

Development and Evaluation of the GLM Stoplight Product for Lightning Safety

The launch of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) aboard Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R/S (GOES-16/17), provides new opportunities to support lightning safety, such as the 30-min hazard (“stoplight”) safety product developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center. This product plots the spatial extent where lightning occurred over the past 30 min and color codes the data in 10-min bins. Using GLM’s mapping of the spatial footprint of individual flashes, the product identifies when temporal rules for lightning safety have been met based on the needs of decision-support partners [commercial airlines, 10 min; United States Air Force (USAF) 45th Weather Squadron, 20 min; emergency management (EMA)/National Weather Service (NWS), 30 min]. The effort was guided by EMA partners requesting a product that quickly shows the location and age of lightning observations in an easy-to-interpret visualization. Analysis of lightning safety rules of thumb were performed in the framework of the GLM stoplight product to determine the number of times each of the partner criteria would be violated using an Eulerian-based approach simulating an integrated decision support point of view. The temporal criteria for commercial airlines, USAF, and EMA/NWS were violated 9.5%, 3.5%, and 1.4% of the time within this sample, respectively. Examples are provided to show the GLM 30-min hazard product in linear convection, multicellular convection, and electrified snowfall events. Illustrations also demonstrate how this GLM safety product and ground-based, lightning-location systems can work in tandem to maximize lightning safety protocols.

Lightning Safety for Florida Agriculture Workers

Lightning is a common occurrence in the Sunshine State. In fact, Florida is known as the lightning capital of the U.S. and ranks number one in lightning-caused deaths. As Floridians, we have grown accustomed to living with lightning and are possibly complacent about the destructive force that surrounds us. Lightning causes about $5 billion worth of damage and kills an average of 50 people in the U.S. each year. Although lightning kills only about 10% of people struck, many victims can suffer from physical and mental complications for the rest of their lives. In agriculture especially, as employers and employees we need to have a good working knowledge of lightning, its effects, and how to protect ourselves and others from this potentially life-threatening hazard.