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The article presents the impact of lightning safety recommendations for indoor swimming pools in the U.S. It states the need to avoid all sources of water or plumbing, especially indoors to prevent serious lightning-related accidents and deaths. It also mentions the need of the expert to study the financial impact of lightning on water, specifically indoor pools and other aquatic facilities.

This article examines a historical case study of failed institutional entrepreneurship in the context of a mature lightning protection standard developed under the auspices of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on events post-1989 when entrepreneurs who had continuously supported the conventional standard sought to establish a competing standard in parallel. When unsuccessful, they sought to entirely remove the existing standard of almost 100 years. The study shows how failure of institutional work may in fact lead to a strengthening and reproduction of existing institutions and their underlying logics, contrary to the institutional entrepreneurs' intent. It also underscores the potential value of history as an interpretive device and strategic resource for both challengers and custodians of institutions, and moves beyond heroic conceptions of institutional entrepreneurship to recognise the discontinuous, non-linear, collective processes that take place in institutional work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning in all corners of the world is monitored by one or more land- or space-based lightning locating systems (LLSs). The applications that have driven these developments are numerous and varied. This paper describes the history leading to modern LLSs that sense lightning radiation fields at multiple remote sensors, focusing on the interactions between enabling technology, scientific discovery, technical development, and uses of the data. An overview of all widely used detection and location methods is provided, including a general discussion of their relative strengths and weaknesses for various applications. The U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) is presented as a case study, since this LLS has been providing real-time lightning information since the early 1980s, and has provided continental-scale (U.S.) information to research and operational users since 1989. This network has also undergone a series of improvements during its >20-year life in response to evolving detection technologies and expanding requirements for applications. Recent analyses of modeled and actual performance of the current NLDN are also summarized. The paper concludes with a view of the short- and long-term requirements for improved lightning measurements that are needed to address some open scientific questions and fill the needs of emerging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightning strikes pose a severe threat to the United States (US) National Airspace System (NAS). Although the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implements lightning protection practices and procedures to protect personnel, electronic equipment, and structures within the NAS, many lightning-induced outages still occur. To date we found that most research on lightning-induced facility outages has focused on understanding the physical processes of lightning strike effects on aircraft and airport ramp operations. Very little research has been done on examining the overall patterns and characteristics of such hazards to aviation from a geo-spatial standpoint. To bridge this gap, we analyze nationwide lightning strike spatiotemporal data and FAA airport facility outage records from 2009 through 2020 and apply innovative pattern recognition methods to identify key characteristics of lightning strike hazards. Our results uncover the complexities of lightning strike hazard impact patterns to NAS facilities, identifying five distinct typologies with climatological signatures critical to creating better hazard mitigation strategies. • Aviation facilities and equipment are prone to lightning-induced outages. • New lightning strike hazard impact patterns identified for airports in the United States. • Lightning strikes beyond current spatiotemporal warning thresholds could still induce outages. • Airports with atypical impact profiles should be prioritized for lightning hazard protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud-to-ground lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network are examined over the Florida peninsula during the warm seasons of 1989 through 1998. The lightning data are stratified according to the location of the subtropical ridge (i.e., north of Florida, south of Florida, and within Florida) as well as other common flow types. Each day is placed into a flow regime based on radiosonde-derived low-level winds at three stations within the study area. Maps of lightning flash density are generated for each flow regime over hourly, daily (24 h), and nocturnal periods. Results for the 24-h period indicate that complexities in the Florida coastline produce four areas of relatively large flash densities: near Tampa, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, and Cape Canaveral. Nocturnal lightning is found to occur mostly offshore—related to the Gulf Stream, coastline orientations, the prevailing flow, and land breezes. The location of the subtropical ridge with respect to the Florida peninsula is found to play an important role in the spatial and temporal distribution of lightning. For example, when the large-scale flow is from the southeast, the east coast sea breeze and its associated lightning are relatively weak. However, the west coast sea breeze is strong and remains near the coastline, producing the most lightning near Tampa. Conversely, when the largescale flow is from the southwest, there is relatively little convection along the west coast, but major lightning activity occurs along the east coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no absolute protection against lightning because of its random and capricious nature. However, the risk of being struck by lightning can be substantially reduced. There are general safety rules that apply to all athletic and recreational events. The athlete should have a proactive plan that can be instituted when storms approach. He/she should go to a safe shelter before the storm arrives and stay there until the danger is gone. Because the location, climate, terrain and playing site vary with different sporting activities, safety plans may have distinct elements for different recreational activities. Mountain climbers should know the weather patterns of their locale. The highest frequency of lightning strikes in the Rocky Mountains occurs between 11am and 9pm during the months of April to September. There is less chance of a hiker encountering lightning during the early morning hours. Many tourists are unaware of this pattern, which may possibly explain the finding that most lightning victims are visitors from other states. The bicyclist is as vulnerable as anyone in the open. In the event of lightning he/she should seek safe shelter and get off the bike. Rubber tires do not provide protection from lightning. Golfers continue to make the same mistakes year after year. Golfers should know to seek safe shelter (clubhouse or closed metal vehicle) before the storm arrives and not return prematurely to the golf course. They should avoid isolated trees, open fields, unsafe sheds and metal poles. They should separate from each other rather than gather together. Swimmers should get out of the pool and find a safe shelter. Safe areas do not include poolsides, under awnings or under trees. A nearby closed automobile may be the safest place until the danger is gone. Applying precautions when engaging in these sporting or recreational activities will help to minimise the risk of casualties or fatalities caused by lightning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operational potential for predicting the onset of cloud-to-ground lightning is examined. WSR-88D reflectivity echoes were analyzed for 39 airmass thunderstorms that developed over the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to determine the best lightning initiation signature. This study examined thunderstorms in the months of May-September 1992-97. These storms were studied in conjunction with cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash locations from the National Lightning Detection Network. From a time series of radar echoes, it was found that the 40-dBZ echo detected at the -10°C temperature height is the best indicator for predicting the beginning of CG lightning activity. The observed median lag time, or warning time, between this lightning initiation signature and the first CG lightning flashes was 7.5 min. Other lightning initiation signatures examined at -15° and -2deg;C temperature heights yielded shorter warning times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on deaths associated with lightning in the United States. Claim that more deaths in the United States are caused by lightning than by hurricanes and tornadoes; Reference to several case studies which occurred in the United States; How deaths associated with lightning were defined; Information on the prevention of deaths and injuries from lightning strikes. INSET: Preventing deaths and injuries from lightning strikes.