This debilitated flash safety board just won’t die – and it’s still dangerous

If you are caught outdoors during lightning, safety experts once recommended to perceive a pressed position to reduce your chances of being hit by lightning. However, it turns out that the position does not make you more favorable.

In response to social media and other Internet sources, it is alleged to be spreading misinformation on lightning safety, the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC) again emphasizes the fact that the “step” is an outdated advice and called on teachers and meteorological operators to stop recommending it.

“If you are caught outside during a thunderstorm, the best action plan is to move as quickly as possible to a more fascinating place,” says John Jenenius, a lightning safety specialist with NLSC, in A in A in A statement Issued by Loehr Lightning Protection Co. “The earlier you get to a safe place, the less your risk is. Squeezing only prolongs the risk of being hit,” Jenenius explained.

The crunch is not only outdated – it was debunked almost 20 years ago. But despite the fact that the NLSC and the National Meteorological Service stopped recommending Crouch in 2008, institutions such as American Tourism Company and Belmed in Texas Continue to include it in their lightning safety guidelines.

“The crunch simply does not provide a significant level of protection. Whether you are standing or in the crouch position, if a lightning channel approaches directly above the head (or almost so), it is very likely to be struck and either killed or injured by lightning,” says AA statement from the National Meteorological Service.

The statement continues to warn that people who believe that crouch is effective can become smug and give up the search for safe shelter until the last minute. The main focus of lightning safety is to avoid entering a dangerous situation in the first place or to know how to get out of one. “It is more useful to remind people to consider canceling or delaying activities if thunderstorms are foreseen,” Chris Vagaski, a NLSC meteorologist, said in the first statement.

The reality is that if you are caught outside during thunder or lightning, there is no completely safe option, according to the National Meteorological Service. However, they recommend avoiding open areas, the highest objects in the area and tall or isolated trees. If you are in a forest or forest, you should stand as far away from any tree.

Finally, if you are with a group, people need to spread to minimize the number of people who could be injured or killed in a lightning stroke. In 2024, NLSC recorded 12 deaths of lightningS

“When it comes down to it, practicing lightning safety is a slight inconvenience that can simply save your life,” Jenenius concluded.