Lightning: A Common and Powerful Colorado Weather Event
by Curtis Armstrong, CRWA Water Technician
According to NOAA, "each spark of lightning can reach over five miles in length, soar to temperatures of approximately 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and contain 100 million electrical volts.
An interesting tidbit,"Scandinavian mythology alludes to Thor, the thunderer, who was the foe of all demons. Thor tossed lightning bolts at his enemies. Thor also gave us Thurs-day."
At any given moment, there are 1,800 thunderstorms in progress somewhere on the earth. This amounts to 16 million storms each year! Scientists that study lightning have a better understanding today of the process that produces lightning, but there is still more to learn about the role of solar flares on the upper atmosphere, the earth's electromagnetic field, and ice in storms. We know the cloud conditions needed to produce lightning, but cannot forecast the location or time of the next stroke of lightning.There are lightning detection systems in the United States,and they monitor an average of 25 million flashes of lightning from the cloud to ground every year!
Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather phenomena-lightning. In the United States, an average of 66 people are killed each year by lightning. In 2004, there were 32 deaths attributed to lightning, down from 44 thanks in part to increased education and safety. In 2005, there were 43 deaths confirmed deaths and 172 confirmed injuries. The injury number is likely far lower than it should be because many people do not seek help or doctors do not record it as a lightning injury."
Not only does lightning have detrimental impact on people, it also causes damage to electrical equipment and systems, ranging from large industrial facilities down to our individual homes. Advancements in technology have increased our ability to protect these assets from lightning strikes.
The following information was obtained from Underwriter's Laboratory and the Electricians Toolbox at www.elec-toolbox.com:
Why You Need Lightning Protection:
Lightning protection systems have changed drastically since Benjamin Franklin first invented lighting rods in 1752. Today's systems must protect modern appliances, electrical systems and building constructions - they have to keep up with tile changing requirements of modern technology.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) keeps up with these changes. Our experience in the safety testing field has earned UL worldwide recognition and respect. Jurisdictional authorities, government agencies, insurance representatives and consumers alike have looked for the UL Mark on products and systems for almost 100 years. When you see the Mark, it means that the product or system on which it appears compares with UL's internationally recognized Standards for Safety.
In the lighting protection field, UL has been serving home and building owners since 1908. Today, UL has a large number of trained lighting protection field representatives located throughout the United States. UL inspects sites ranging from cow barns to missile silos, front golf Course shelters to high-rise building systems. In fact, some of the most famous buildings in the world are protected by UL Master Labeled lightning protection systems, including the White House, the Sears Tower and the Washington Monument.
THE NEED FOR LIGHTNING PROTECTION:
Lightning can strike anywhere on earth - even the North and South Poles! In any u.s. geographical location, lightning storms occur as few as five times or as many as 100 times per year. -The Northeast United States has the most violent thunderstorms in the country because of the area's extremely high earth resistivity. High earth resistivity(the earth's resistance to conduct current) increases the potential of a lightning strike. If struck, structures in these areas will generally sustain more damage when there is no lightning protection system present.
Each year, thousands of homes and other properties are damaged or destroyed by lightning. It accounts for more than a quarter billion dollars in property damage annually in the United States. Lightning is responsible for more deaths and property loss than tornadoes, hurricanes and floods combined, but of these violent forces of nature, lightning is the only one we can economically afford to protect ourselves against.
As a home or building owner, you should make sure that your installed system complies with the UL requirements.
Here's how:
Make certain that your installer is listed by UL and that a Master Label application is submitted to UL for your installation. When you request a Master Label for your system, your installer will ask you to sign the owner's statement on the Master Label application form.The fourth (yellow) copy of the application is for your records.This should be done before the installer submits the Master Label application to UL for issuance of the Label. Make sure you receive the Master Label from the installer and place it on the protected structure as requested.
Buildings that are changed structurally or provided with additions can be re-examined under UL's Reconditioned Lightning Protection Program. Under this program, the entire system must comply with the current UL Standards.
How You Can Protect Your Building:
1. Install a UL Master Label Lightning Protection System that complies with current nationally recognized codes.
Lightning protection systems consist of air terminals (lightning rods) and associated fittings connected by heavy cables to grounding equipment, providing a path for lightning current to travel safely to ground.
2. Install UL Listed surge arresters at your service and telephone equipment to prevent surges from entering the home or other buildings' oil, power or telephone lines. Surges are diverted to ground, and both wiring and appliances are protected.
3. Install UL Listed transient voltage surge suppressors in receptacles to which computers and other electronic equipment are connected in order to limit the voltage to 11/2 times the normal (maximum for solid state devices). 4. Look for the UL Mark. Remember, your lightning protection system may be installed using UL,'s requirements, but the system is not a Master Label system unless installed by one of UL's Listed installers and a Master Label has been sent to you. Always "Look for the Master Label" on your lightning protection installation.
If this information raises any questions as to what type of surge protection devices (SPD) that your system might benefit from installing, please feel free to contact me, Curt Armstrong, at crwa@comcast.net or call (719) 545-6748 and I will schedule an appointment to meet with your and help you assess your surge protection devices needs.
Photos Courtesy of Oklahoma Lightning