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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
920 AM EDT Thu May 23 2024

...NATIONAL SAFE BOATING AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

The National Weather Service in partnership with the National Safe
Boating Council has declared May 18 through May 24 2024 National
Safe Boating Week to help promote safe boating practices across the
Great Lakes and on inland lakes and waterways.

Today`s topic is lightning safety on the open water. No one thinks
they will be struck by lightning, but the most common threat boaters
face in thunderstorms is lightning.  Lightning can generate a
phenomenal amount of heat that can vaporize water, melt metal, or
even cause objects to explode. In fact, bolts of lightning can
produce extreme temperatures of over 50,000 degrees fahrenheit, or
almost 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun! A lightning
strike to a boat can be catastrophic, especially if it results in a
fire or loss of radio and navigation equipment.

Although you cannot prevent lightning from striking your boat, you
can take protective measures to limit the damage. The best thing to
do as soon as you see lightning or hear thunder is to head to shore
and take shelter on land until the storm passes. If you must weather
the storm on the water, drop anchor so the boats bow points into the
wind. If your boat has a cabin, stay inside and avoid touching metal
or electrical devices.  If your boat doesn`t have a cabin, stay as
low as you can in the boat.

Ensure that everyone on board is wearing their life jacket. To
protect your boat, make sure it is grounded. Use a good conductive
material to allow the current to travel through and off the boat
through a discharge plate or the keel. Another way to minimize the
risk of a lightning strike is to install a static dissipater. Even
though you can`t stop lightning from striking, you can take measures
to minimize the damage to your boat and those on board.

For more information about boating safety visit
weather.gov/safety/safeboating-week and safeboatingcampaign.com

$$