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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
1100 AM EST MON FEB 2 2026
..MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 IS LIGHTNING AWARENESS DAY
LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURE’S MOST UNPREDICTABLE HAZARDS, MAKING ALL
THUNDERSTORMS POTENTIALLY DEADLY. CENTRAL FLORIDA IS THE MOST ACTIVE
LIGHTNING HOTSPOT IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH LIGHTNING STORMS
OCCURRING NEARLY EVERY DAY FROM MID-MAY THROUGH MID-OCTOBER DUE TO
FREQUENT SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY COLLISIONS.
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY DATA, THERE WERE 21 LIGHTNING-RELATED
FATALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2025, NEAR THE 10-YEAR AVERAGE.
FLORIDA LED THE NATION WITH FOUR LIGHTNING-RELATED FATALITIES.
LIGHTNING REMAINS THE SECOND-LEADING WEATHER-RELATED CAUSE OF DEATH
IN FLORIDA, BEHIND RIP CURRENTS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES FROM A STORM, EVEN WHEN
THUNDER IS NOT AUDIBLE, AND IS OFTEN MOST DANGEROUS NEAR THE STORM’S
OUTER EDGES. AS A RESULT, MOST LIGHTNING FATALITIES OCCUR BEFORE A
STORM REACHES PEAK INTENSITY OR SHORTLY AFTER RAINFALL ENDS, WHEN
PEOPLE DELAY SEEKING SHELTER OR RETURN OUTDOORS TOO SOON.
LIGHTNING CANNOT BE AVOIDED IN THE SAME WAY ONE WOULD AVOID A
TORNADO OR HURRICANE. MONITORING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKING
LIGHTNING SAFETY SERIOUSLY IS ESSENTIAL WHEN PLANNING OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES. TO STAY SAFE, SEEK SHELTER AS SOON AS SKIES DARKEN, EVEN
BEFORE THUNDER IS HEARD. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER, YOU ARE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. STOP OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
IMMEDIATELY AND MOVE INDOORS, AND REMAIN THERE FOR 30 MINUTES UNTIL
AFTER THE LAST RUMBLE OF THUNDER.
PICNIC PAVILIONS, DUGOUTS, SHEDS, AND TREES DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE
LIGHTNING PROTECTION. IF A STURDY BUILDING IS UNAVAILABLE, AN
ENCLOSED METAL VEHICLE OR BUS OFFERS THE NEXT BEST SHELTER. GOLF
CARTS AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES ARE UNSAFE.
REMEMBER: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS!
WATSON/ULRICH
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