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Lightning Detection Network
Wed Aug 13, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton for The Weather Notebook. Ron Holle is regarded as one of the world
experts on lightning. After a 30-year stint with NOAA, he became a consultant working with
VAISALA, which runs the National Lightning Detection Network.
RON: It's a seamless network with another 80 detectors in Canada, so it's about 180-190
sensors at any given time that are running all over North America north of the Mexican
border.
About every 5 years there's a lot of new processing and new technology that comes along and
so, every year we more-or-less set records for the number of flashes that are detected. We're
up into the 22-25 million range for cloud to ground flashes in the U.S.
BRYAN: So it's not that we're getting more flashes, it's that we're better able to detect
them.
RON: Yes. We're detecting a lot more of them and some of these sensors showing at least 5
times as many flashes in-cloud as cloud to ground so we easily have 100 million flashes in the
U.S. every year.
Holle says that when it comes to lightning, some organizations are putting profit before
safety; others, like the NCAA, are taking heed, with policies like the 30/30 rule.
RON: If you hear thunder within 30 seconds after you saw the lightning - that's 6 miles away
- that is the time to go - not 6 seconds. It's further - much further away than almost
anybody typically does. Somebody has to make that decision and stick by it no matter what
stage of the game - last inning or whatever it is - it doesn't matter.
Holle suggests finding a building or metal-roofed automobile for shelter. Then, wait at least
30 minutes after the last strike before resuming outdoor activities.
The Weather Notebook is supported through grants from The National Science Foundation, and
Subaru, Driven by What's Inside.
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