PORTLAND, Maine — This week is known as Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and it's meant to bring attention to the underrated dangers of lightning.
While getting struck by lightning may seem impossible, there is a chance it could happen. A lightning strike caused a house in Auburn to catch fire Sunday, heavily damaging the home.
It is important to be particularly cautious this time of year, because most lightning fatalities happen in the summer.
The National Weather Service says, assuming you live to 80 years old, the odds of being stuck in your lifetime are 1 in 15,300. Let's talk about how to stay safe.
The most important thing you can do is simple and easy to remember: "When thunder roars, go indoors."
Most lightning fatalities occur outside, so heading inside during a thunderstorm is the important thing you can do to protect yourself. If you can't make it indoors, an enclosed vehicle is a suitable alternative.
Sheltering beneath a tree is one of the most dangerous places because of its height. Being out on the water is not a great option either.
Here is a list from NOAA of the top activities with the most lightning fatalities. They include fishing, going to the beach, camping, farming, and so on. Eighty percent of lightning strike victims are men, while only twenty percent are women.
The CDC says two out of three lightning deaths occur between noon and 6 p.m. This also happens to be when thunderstorms are most likely to develop.
Here's the good news: Since the program started in 2001, the National Weather Service says U.S. lightning fatalities have dropped from about 55 deaths per year to less than 30.