After four people were hit, and three killed, by lightning in D.C.’s Lafayette Square, the National Weather Service is out with a warning: The safest place to be during a thunderstorm is indoors.
鈥淚f you’re outside under a tree, under grandstands, under a gazebo or pavilion 鈥� None of that does anything for protecting yourself from the lightning threat that’s out there,鈥� said Chris Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told 海角社区app. 鈥淲hen thunder roars, head indoors.鈥�
Strong said to seek shelter in an enclosed building with walls and a ceiling, or in a vehicle with a hardtop and the windows rolled up.
The D.C. police said the four were hit by lightning near a cluster of trees.
Strong said there isn鈥檛 a set distance that would keep one safe from a tree that gets struck by lightning.
鈥淵ou can be near a tree; you can be not near a tree,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople get struck on the roof, struck at the beach, struck on the golf course, struck in open fields, struck in a forest, with other trees around. If you’re outdoors, you’re at risk from the lightning strike if there’s a thunderstorm in the area.鈥�
He said people should check the forecast ahead of time, especially during the summer months, when lightning is more common in the D.C. area. And if you are out during a stormy day, make sure there is a building nearby where you can quickly seek shelter.
