Lightning: Don't Risk Waiting

[BrianC14]

I know the Assignor for this league.  He said that the umpires did the right thing in clearing the field immediately when they saw that lightning was in the area.  Unfortunately for one woman who chose to remain, she was injured by a nearby strike.

The lesson here for umpires is to clear the field at the first sign of a lightning strike.   Don't wait.  It isn't worth it.

ER nurse in right place at right time when woman is injured by lightning strike

http://www.9news.com/weather/er-nurse-is-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time-when-woman-is-injured-by-lightning-strike/437640311

 

[jjb]

Here's what I took from the clip.

The news report said, "they took shelter IN THE DUGOUTS AND UNDER TENTS. Bad juju. People think as long as you're out of the rain, you're safe. You ain't. 

 Look at the dugouts; there's a steel fence that runs around home plate and in front of and behind the dugouts. You can see a kid leaning against the fence. (Some fields even go around center field.)

Any strike that hits in the vicinity of the fence (and I'm taking 50 meters), will energize the fence. Anyone inside the dugout will be between the two energized areas. Think of an automotive sparkplug. And think of the kid leaning against the fence when it hits.

Get the kids the hell out of the dugouts and in cars or buildings. (And you too)...

[Ilbass22]

A few years ago Illinois went nuts on this. It seems that a track meet was going on and a young man was struck and killed by lightning. The storm was 30 miles away! So the IHSA was enforcing this rule hard! I followed it pretty closely but played a few games that I probably shouldn't have! One day I umpired a Softball game in a town where I deer hunted. I had two stands that I needed out of the trees. So I went to the far side of the timber and got the first. I returned to the closest to the truck stand. I had it on the ground gathering up all my stuff when I heard distant thunder. I thought, do I want to leave them, or do I want to drive 50 miles back? Gas was high then! I grabbed them and headed out! I no sooner got to the edge of the woods, I heard a boom, saw a flash, and smelled dirt! I tossed the stands in the timber and ran to the truck! This is why I don't take the chance!!

[Mister B]

We don't get much lightning out here, but I had a flash in the sky during a game. I cleared the field and waited for the thunder. Nothing. Told both coaches that we'd give it 5 minutes. I did check the weather and the storm was over 50 miles away. After 5 minutes the dark clouds had moved north and we had sunshine. 

The 30/30 rule says we should wait at least 30 minutes, but doesn't say anything about no thunder. Baseball has been pretty crappy up here in the PNW this year. Normally I'd extend the 30 second rule to 60 and call the game then. 

[maineump]

With today's lightning detectors, weather on the phones, computers in your hands, there should be no excuse by not getting kids and fans away from the field. If we hear thunder that seems far away, we should be checking the weather right away, and any weather in the area at all - clear the field. If there is no weather around, on radar, we still need to be very aware.

Here in Maine we also get "heat lightning". It is lightning that has no thunder, doesn't come to the ground (that I have ever heard of) and basically just lights up the sky. Anything that can light up the sky like that gets my respect - we stop the game.

With today's fences. light poles, metal bleachers, drainage under the fields - don't take any chances - err to the safety of all.

[Jimurray]

37 minutes ago, maineump said:

With today's lightning detectors, weather on the phones, computers in your hands, there should be no excuse by not getting kids and fans away from the field. If we hear thunder that seems far away, we should be checking the weather right away, and any weather in the area at all - clear the field. If there is no weather around, on radar, we still need to be very aware.

Here in Maine we also get "heat lightning". It is lightning that has no thunder, doesn't come to the ground (that I have ever heard of) and basically just lights up the sky. Anything that can light up the sky like that gets my respect - we stop the game.

With today's fences. light poles, metal bleachers, drainage under the fields - don't take any chances - err to the safety of all.

"Heat lightning" without thunder is usually lightning flashes from a distant storm visible at night that shouldn't require stopping a game. Without thunder or a visible cloud to ground bolt the storm wouldn't meet the NWS criteria of being near enough to present a lightning danger. 

I question whether a storm 30 miles away, as in the track meet, could cause a strike. More than likely parts of the storm were closer and criteria to seek shelter existed. 

But knowledge of the velocity and direction of a line could cause you to be more conservative about suspending play. 

[jjb]

On ‎5‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 7:23 PM, Mister B said:

We don't get much lightning out here, but I had a flash in the sky during a game. I cleared the field and waited for the thunder. Nothing. Told both coaches that we'd give it 5 minutes. I did check the weather and the storm was over 50 miles away. After 5 minutes the dark clouds had moved north and we had sunshine. 

The 30/30 rule says we should wait at least 30 minutes, but doesn't say anything about no thunder. Baseball has been pretty crappy up here in the PNW this year. Normally I'd extend the 30 second rule to 60 and call the game then. 

North Texas is in the prairie, and lightning storms are common. 

1. The 30-30 rule says this: when you see lightning, you start counting; one- one thousand, two one-thousand. If you hear thunder before you get to "thirty one-thousand", you are in the danger zone and need to get the hell off the field. You keep counting "flash-to-bang" until you get 30 minutes beyond the last "30 one thousand". Then you're safe.  Easy. (If you don't have thunder after the lightning, it's too far away to hear, and you're safe; but keep an eye on it).

This is a Federal (NOAA)  Guideline which is something you can hold up as a policy, if the worst should happen. It's easy, free and has science behind it.

(BTW, You can also use it to tell if the cell is coming toward or away from you; if you've got a 20-second flash to bang, followed by a 12-second flash-to bang, you know it's coming toward you, and you probably ain't playing tonight. The other way around, you've got a shot).

2. Computers/weather apps/ etc will NOT back you up if you use them to decide to play on or not. The company which makes the device will be also involved in the suit and will immediately throw you under the bus, i.e.,"he didn't use it properly". Ask me my real job....

3. There is no such animal as "heat lightning." Electrons split the air (lightning) are followed by the air slamming back together (thunder). If you get lightning, you've got thunder. You just don't hear it because it's too far away. 

Finally, my personal thought on this: What happens if you cancel a game and you didn't have to? They re-schedule the game, something they do all the time...And what happens of you don't cancel a game, but it turns out you should have? Something life-changing for everyone. I've seen what lightning can do  and it's nothing to screw around with. Be safe.

[scrounge]

34 minutes ago, jjb said:

North Texas is in the prairie, and lightning storms are common. 

1. The 30-30 rule says this: when you see lightning, you start counting; one- one thousand, two one-thousand. If you hear thunder before you get to "thirty one-thousand", you are in the danger zone and need to get the hell off the field. You keep counting "flash-to-bang" until you get 30 minutes beyond the last "30 one thousand". Then you're safe.  Easy. (If you don't have thunder after the lightning, it's too far away to hear, and you're safe; but keep an eye on it).

This is a Federal (NOAA)  Guideline which is something you can hold up as a policy, if the worst should happen. It's easy, free and has science behind it.

(BTW, You can also use it to tell if the cell is coming toward or away from you; if you've got a 20-second flash to bang, followed by a 12-second flash-to bang, you know it's coming toward you, and you probably ain't playing tonight. The other way around, you've got a shot).

2. Computers/weather apps/ etc will NOT back you up if you use them to decide to play on or not. The company which makes the device will be also involved in the suit and will immediately throw you under the bus, i.e.,"he didn't use it properly". Ask me my real job....

3. There is no such animal as "heat lightning." Electrons split the air (lightning) are followed by the air slamming back together (thunder). If you get lightning, you've got thunder. You just don't hear it because it's too far away. 

Finally, my personal thought on this: What happens if you cancel a game and you didn't have to? They re-schedule the game, something they do all the time...And what happens of you don't cancel a game, but it turns out you should have? Something life-changing for everyone. I've seen what lightning can do  and it's nothing to screw around with. Be safe.

That is not exactly what are the NOAA guidelines. They state that if you can hear thunder, you're generally within 6-10 miles - which is approx what the 30-30 shortcut/rule of thumb is measuring. This is what the NOAA says is the zone of significant risk. BY NO MEANS ARE YOU SAFE OTHERWISE!!! It's not an on/off switch, the risk may be lower but it's by no means trivial at 11 or 14 miles. Strikes, admittedly rare, have been known up to 20 miles. This is where the term 'bolt out of the blue' came from - far-off lightning strikes from a storm even though it's blue skies at the strike location.

Overall, though, I applaud your philosophy on taking caution and following the 30 minute rule. I would just caution any false sense of safety if you "only" get to 35 seconds of flash to bang. If you can hear it AT ALL...you're in danger. And except for dark at night when you can see 50 miles away - if you can see it you probably are as well.