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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
600 AM EDT FRI JUN 26 2009
..LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY
..THE TOPIC FOR TODAY IS MEDICAL ASPECTS OF LIGHTNING VICTIMS
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF JUNE 21ST
THROUGH JUNE 27TH 2009 LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.
..MEDICAL ASPECTS
LIGHTNING IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF STORM RELATED DEATHS IN THE UNITED
STATES...OUT PACING HURRICANES AND TORNADOS IN MOST YEARS.
ACCORDING TO STORM DATA...A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
PUBLICATION...OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS THE UNITED STATES HAS AVERAGED
58 REPORTED LIGHTNING FATALITIES PER YEAR. DUE TO UNDER
REPORTING...THE FIGURES ARE MORE REALISTICALLY AT LEAST 70 DEATHS
PER YEAR. ONLY ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING ARE KILLED...LEAVING 90 PERCENT WITH VARIOUS DEGREES OF
DISABILITY. A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAN RESULT IN A CARDIAC ARREST AT
THE TIME OF THE INJURY.
ABOUT ONE THIRD OF ALL LIGHTNING RELATED INJURIES OCCUR AT WORK.
ANOTHER THIRD OF INJURIES OCCUR DURING RECREATIONAL OR SPORTS
ACTIVITIES. THE LAST THIRD OCCURS IN DIVERSE SITUATIONS...INCLUDING
INJURIES TO THOSE INSIDE BUILDINGS.
LIGHTNING VICTIMS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE IN ORDER TO SAVE
THEIR LIVES. CARDIAC ARREST AND IRREGULARITIES...BURNS...AND NERVE
DAMAGE ARE COMMON IN CASES WHERE PEOPLE ARE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
HOWEVER...WITH PROPER TREATMENT...INCLUDING CPR IF NECESSARY...MOST
VICTIMS SURVIVE A LIGHTNING STRIKE...ALTHOUGH THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS
ON THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF FAMILY MEMBERS CAN BE DEVASTATING.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH
SHORT-TERM MEMORY...CODING NEW INFORMATION AND ACCESSING OLD
INFORMATION...MULTITASKING...DISTRACTIBILITY...IRRITABILITY AND
PERSONALITY CHANGE. EARLY ON...SURVIVORS MAY COMPLAIN OF INTENSE
HEADACHES...RINGING IN THE EARS...DIZZINESS...NAUSEA AND OTHER POST-
CONCUSSION TYPES OF SYMPTOMS. SURVIVORS MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE
DIFFICULTY SLEEPING. A FEW MAY DEVELOP SEIZURE-LIKE ACTIVITY SEVERAL
WEEKS TO MONTHS AFTER THE INJURY. ANOTHER DELAYED PROBLEM FOR SOME
SURVIVORS IS PAIN IN THE BACK OR IN AN EXTREMITY. MANY OFTEN COMPLAIN
OF BECOMING EXHAUSTED AFTER ONLY A FEW HOURS OF WORK. TASKS THEY USED
TO DO AUTOMATICALLY NOW REQUIRE INTENSE CONCENTRATION.
MANY LIGHTNING VICTIMS MAY SUFFER PERSONALITY CHANGES BECAUSE OF
FRONTAL LOBE DAMAGE AND BECOME QUITE IRRITABLE AND EASY TO ANGER.
MANY ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY USED TO HANDLE AND
AS A RESULT...ISOLATE THEMSELVES FROM OTHERS AND WITHDRAW FROM NORMAL
ACTIVITIES. DEPRESSION BECOMES A BIG PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
CHANGED AND LOST SO MUCH...AND SOME MAY RESORT TO ALCOHOL AND OTHER
DRUGS. AN INJURY SUCH AS THIS AFFECTS THE ENTIRE FAMILY...NOT JUST
THE PERSON HIT. FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE SURVIVOR MUST REMAIN
SUPPORTIVE EVEN THOUGH IT MAY REQUIRE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THEIR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURVIVOR.
A MEDICAL TEST FOR DETERMINING THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE
IN A LIGHTNING VICTIM IS A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF HOW A PERSON'S BRAIN
IS WORKING CALLED A NEUROCOGNITIVE OR NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST. THESE
TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED BY A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST...NOT BY A
PSYCHIATRIST. THE TESTS CONSIST OF A 6 TO 8 HOUR BATTERY OF TESTS
INCLUDING MEMORY...IQ AND ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITY. SURVIVORS OF
LIGHTNING AND ELECTRICAL INJURY USUALLY HAVE A CHARACTERISTIC PATTERN
OF DEFICITS.
ALL IN ALL...FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN TREATING SURVIVORS IS
PREVENTING LIGHTNING INJURY. WHEN THUNDER ROARS...GO INDOORS.
PREVENTION IS THE KEY.
DID YOU KNOW...AN ORGANIZATION OF TREMENDOUS HELP TO SURVIVORS...
FAMILIES...PHYSICIANS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS IS LIGHTNING STRIKE
AND ELECTRIC SHOCK SURVIVORS INTERNATIONAL OR LSESSI...A SUPPORT
GROUP FORMED IN 1989 BY A LIGHTNING VICTIM. LSESSI CAN BE REACHED BY
VISITING THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.LIGHTNING-STRIKE.ORG...OR AT P.O. BOX
1156 JACKSONVILLE NORTH CAROLINA 28541.
FOR MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHTNING AND
LIGHTNING SAFETY...VISIT NOAA'S LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK WEB
SITE AT...
HTTP://WWW.LIGHTNINGSAFETY.NOAA.GOV/WEEK.HTM
OR LINK FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S TAMPA BAY OFFICE WEBSITE
AT
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/TAMPABAY
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