How Do You Know if You Are in La La Land?

Lightning is the result of the buildup and discharge of electrical energy. The air in a lightning strike is heated to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is this rapid heating of the air that produces the shock wave that results in thunder. A cloud-to-ground lightning strike begins as an invisible channel of electrically-charged air moving from the cloud toward the ground. When one channel nears an object on the ground, a powerful surge of electricity from the ground moves upward to the clouds and produces the visible lightning strike. The danger of lightning poses a major threat to mariners. A direct lightning hit can damage or destroy vessels, overload navigational and other electronic systems, and electrocute crew and passengers. The principle lightning safety guide is the 30-30 rule. The first " 30 " represents 30 seconds. If the time between when you see the flash and hear the thunder is 30 seconds or less, the lightning is close enough to hit you. If you haven't already, seek shelter immediately. The second " 30 " stands for 30 minutes. After the last flash of lightning, wait 30 minutes before leaving your shelter. More than one half of lightning deaths occur after a thunderstorm has passed. Lightning kills more people in the United States in a year than tornadoes. Mariners are particularly at risk. Marine vessels are often the tallest objects in a large open space. Seeking the tallest objects, lightning has blown out the bottom of boats and caused millions of dollars in damage to navigational equipment. Multiple cloud-to-ground lightning strikes during a nightime thunderstorm The glow on a masthead produced by an extreme buildup of electrical charge is known as St. Elmo's Fire. Unprotected mariners should immediately move to shelter when this phenomena occurs. Lightning may strike the mast within five minutes after it begins to glow.