Lightning Strikes Student In Busia; How To Avoid Lightning Strikes
A student is recuperating in the hospital following a lightning strike in Nambale, Busia County.
The student was in class at Katira Secondary School in the Nambale Constituency when the incident occurred.
“The victim was attending classes before lightning struck. No other injuries were reported,” witnesses said.
The student was taken to Teso North Constituency’s Kocholia Sub County Hospital.
According to the medical staff caring to the patient, his status is stable. Strikes of lightning can be fatal.
In April of this year, a torrential downpour caused the deaths of two people in Malaha village, Bungoma County.
How To Avoid Lightning Strikes
As the sky darkens and the trees begin to sway, you hear the distant sound of thunder. This is your signal that potential danger is approaching.
According to the National Weather Service, it’s most likely within 10 miles of you.
Do not disregard that sound, for where there is thunder, there is lightning, and lightning can kill or maim in unexpected ways. This includes the shower, the bathtub, and even dishwashing.
Due to the fact that lightning can travel through plumbing, it is advised to avoid all water during a thunderstorm. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.”
“The risk of lightning traveling through plumbing might be less with plastic pipes than with metal pipes. However, it is best to avoid any contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm to reduce your risk of being struck,” the CDC added.
This is not the only hazard present inside. The agency advised avoiding porches and balconies, avoiding windows and doors, and “NOT lying down on concrete floors or leaning against concrete walls.”
Also, “DO NOT use anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet, including computers and other electronic equipment,” the CDC advised.
“Avoid using corded phones. Cellular and cordless phones are safe if they are not plugged into an electrical outlet via a charger.
Hotter than the sun’s surface

Lightning Strikes Student In Busia; How To Avoid Lightning Strikes
According to the National Weather Service, a thunderclap occurs when lightning strikes, heating the air around the bolt to as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
“Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction (create) the sound wave that we hear as thunder.”
Lightning can be fatal in multiple ways.
A direct impact is typically fatal, according to the CDC, but touching a car or metal object struck by lightning can result in injuries such as physical trauma, skin sores, burns, and brain, muscle, and eye damage.
Additionally, the current can move through the earth, bounce off a person or object, or even rise from things close to the ground.
The weather agency advised calculating the distance between yourself and the lightning from a safe location so as to avoid being struck.
According to the CDC, the majority of deaths and injuries occur when individuals are outdoors, particularly in the afternoon and evening during the summer months.
Each year, approximately 180 individuals are harmed by lightning, and 10% of those injured die.
Outdoor workers, particularly in the Southeast, are at the greatest danger. According to the CDC, Florida and Texas have the highest number of lightning-related fatalities.
"DO NOT lie on the ground if you are found outside.” More than 100 feet away, lightning generates electric currents along the surface of the ground that can be fatal.
“Enter a safe location; there is no safe position outside,” stated the CDC.
Avoid situations that increase your likelihood of being struck by lightning, such as being close or under towering trees.
If no safe shelters are in sight, assume a ball-like position by putting your feet together, squatting low, tucking your head, and covering your ears.
But keep in mind that this is a final resort. Seek shelter above all else.
As the sky darkens and the trees begin to sway, you hear the distant sound of thunder. This is your signal that potential danger is approaching.
According to the National Weather Service, it’s most likely within 10 miles of you.
Do not disregard that sound, for where there is thunder, there is lightning, and lightning can kill or maim in unexpected ways.
This includes the shower, the bathtub, and even dishwashing.
Due to the fact that lightning can travel through plumbing, it is advised to avoid all water during a thunderstorm.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “Do not shower, bathe, wash dishes, or wash your hands.”
“The risk of lightning traveling through plumbing might be less with plastic pipes than with metal pipes. However, it is best to avoid any contact with plumbing and running water during a lightning storm to reduce your risk of being struck,” the CDC added.
This is not the only hazard present inside. The agency advised avoiding porches and balconies, avoiding windows and doors, and “NOT lying down on concrete floors or leaning against concrete walls.”
Also, “DO NOT use anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet, including computers and other electronic equipment,” the CDC advised.
“Avoid using corded phones. Cellular and cordless phones are safe if they are not plugged into an electrical outlet via a charger.
Hotter than the sun’s surface
According to the National Weather Service, a thunderclap occurs when lightning strikes, heating the air around the bolt to as high as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
“Immediately after the flash, the air cools and contracts quickly. This rapid expansion and contraction (create) the sound wave that we hear as thunder.”
Lightning can be fatal in multiple ways.
A direct impact is typically fatal, according to the CDC, but touching a car or metal object struck by lightning can result in injuries such as physical trauma, skin sores, burns, and brain, muscle, and eye damage.
Additionally, the current can move through the earth, bounce off a
person or object, or even rise from things close to the ground.
The weather agency advised calculating the distance between yourself and the lightning from a safe location so as to avoid being struck.
According to the CDC, the majority of deaths and injuries occur when individuals are outdoors, particularly in the afternoon and evening during the summer months.
Each year, approximately 180 individuals are harmed by lightning, and 10% of those injured die.
Outdoor workers, particularly in the Southeast, are in the greatest danger.
According to the CDC, Florida and Texas have the highest number of lightning-related fatalities.
"DO NOT lie on the ground if you are found outside.” More than 100 feet away, lightning generates electric currents along the surface of the ground that can be fatal. “Enter a safe location; there is no safe position outside,” stated the CDC.
Avoid situations that increase your likelihood of being struck by lightning, such as being close or under towering trees.
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If no safe shelters are in sight, assume a ball-like position by putting your feet together, squatting low, tucking your head, and covering your ears.
But keep in mind that this is a final resort. Seek shelter above all else.

Lightning Strikes Student In Busia; How To Avoid Lightning Strikes
Lightning Strikes Student In Busia; How To Avoid Lightning Strikes