Camping with Poptop Up in Thunder Storm

[LenS]

From Useless Facts (http://www.brainofbrian.com/facts-statistics2.html)

» Odds of being killed by a dog - 1 in 700,000.

» Odds of dying while in the bath tub - 1 in 1 million.

» Odds of being killed by space debris - 1 in 5 billion.

» Odds of being killed by poisoning - 1 in 86,000.

» Odds of being killed by freezing - 1 in 3 million.

» Odds of being killed by lightening - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed in a car crash - 1 in 5,000.

» Odds of being killed in a tornado - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed by falling out of bed - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed in a plane crash -1 in 25 million

[daveb]

Originally Posted by LenS

From Useless Facts (http://www.brainofbrian.com/facts-statistics2.html)

» Odds of being killed by a dog - 1 in 700,000.

» Odds of dying while in the bath tub - 1 in 1 million.

» Odds of being killed by space debris - 1 in 5 billion.

» Odds of being killed by poisoning - 1 in 86,000.

» Odds of being killed by freezing - 1 in 3 million.

» Odds of being killed by lightening - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed in a car crash - 1 in 5,000.

» Odds of being killed in a tornado - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed by falling out of bed - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed in a plane crash -1 in 25 million

Yep the key word is killed. Being killed is rare dealing with lightning. Then there are those who are hit and survive. Then the key word is hit which is also rare. Being subject to the electrical effects of lightning (the ouch effect) are higher but even that is somewhat rare. How many people happen to be on the phone during a lightning storm and get nailed from a strike that occurs miles away? Not many but it does happen. Think about it, how many people have ever been 200 feet from a strike.
How many people drive into a lightning storm on purpose or refuse to leave an area subject to a lightning storm?
Now of those people hanging around a storm on purpose, how many are killed. I'll bet not that many either but I'll also bet those odds of any of my scenarios are a bit different.

I have to work in it in a bucket truck during storms which doesn’t help the odds. I’ve never been hit but I know a few who have. Our booms are largely fiberglass so we can handle live high voltage. One guy I know who was hit while in his bucket wasn’t killed but spent a year in the hospital. The strike was in proximity to a pole that has about 80% ground conductivity. So while I do think it’s rare, I don’t buy that you’re gonna be completely safe. Most robberies don’t end up in death either.
Is it going to scare me out of watching a lightning storm…no way. JMO

[rionapo]

Originally Posted by LenS

From Useless Facts (http://www.brainofbrian.com/facts-statistics2.html).

» Odds of being killed by lightening - 1 in 2 million.

» Odds of being killed in a car crash - 1 in 5,000.

» Odds of being killed in a plane crash -1 in 25 million

Forgive my selective editing. It leads to here: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/ ... omobi.html and the general principle that humans have no sense of statistics or probabilities. (Edit-report on increased deaths post 9/11 as people drive rather than fly.) One of my favorites is lasic surgery, with a 1 in 10 chance of complications but highly popular. Love my anti-technology glasses.

Don

[daveb]

Originally Posted by rionapo

Forgive my selective editing. It leads to here: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/ ... omobi.html and the general principle that humans have no sense of statistics or probabilities. (Edit-report on increased deaths post 9/11 as people drive rather than fly.) One of my favorites is lasic surgery, with a 1 in 10 chance of complications but highly popular. Love my anti-technology glasses.

Don

Yes, is coffee good or bad for you? The only statistic I know is true is that a few micro brews a day are absolutely good for you and you won't change my mind

[BroncoHauler]

Odds of spending too much time on this forum: about 1 in 1

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

Odds of spending too much time on this forum: about 1 in 1

No Herb, it is 1 in 2. Me, not my wife. You, not your wife.

Mike

[rionapo]

Originally Posted by daveb

The only statistic I know is true is that a few micro brews a day are absolutely good for you and you won't change my mind

[Real] Beer has food value. Food has no beer value.

Don

[rob_gendreau]

Funny you guys should mention it. Few days ago a bolt hit the campground at Colorado NM; knocked out power to toilets in one loop, but not lights. Go figure. Scared bejeezus outta the campers.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by rob_gendreau

Funny you guys should mention it. Few days ago a bolt hit the campground at Colorado NM; knocked out power to toilets in one loop, but not lights. Go figure. Scared bejeezus outta the campers.

Single phase transformers with 3 phase power or 2 wire primary. If one phase is opened (line fuse blew or a single wire down) it can and often does allow those on the unaffected phase(s) to supply normal power while others are out. Very common. Those with 3 phase power will single phase causing a variety of problem including possible damage to equipment. But the strike itself can still cause problems with the unaffected phases/transformers and people hooked to it.

[Aldercrest]

Originally Posted by daveb

Think about it, how many people have ever been 200 feet from a strike.

I never thought I'd say this while living on the Oregon coast, but I guess I have been less than 200 feet from a strike. We rarely get thunder and almost never get bolt lightning - it's almost always cloud to cloud. But a couple of years ago, we had a wicked cool thunderstorm, the kind where you unplug the computer, turn off all the lights, and just watch. We had several strikes that got closer and closer. Two miles, one mile, 1/4 mile, and then it stopped.

Then, after a long period of nothing, BOOM!!!!! The ground shook, the house shook, the plates rattled, and I was convinced the house was hit. I looked all over the house for flames (nothing), jumped in the car and drove through the neighborhood looking for something burning (nothing).

We lost our cable modem and our wireless router. You could see the fried resistors where the four Ethernet ports mounted to our router's motherboard. Guess I should have unplugged the modem from the cable, too! We found out later it hit a big Hemlock tree just across the property line on our neighbor's lot. The scar ran all the down the tree, and the grass sod was blow off several of the larger roots. Our neighbors lost their garage door opener, cable TV/data wiring, cable modem, router, and computer. The strike was probably 75' from their house, and 150' from ours.

Lightning is scary stuff.