Summer temperatures are rising, and thunderstorms are common during the peak travel season, especially in mountainous scenic areas. Due to the lack of outdoor lightning protection facilities, it's essential to take precautions against lightning strikes during thunderstorms. On July 8, 2011, 20 teachers from the Second Primary School of Hengli Town traveled to the Zhangjiajie scenic area for a trip, with Dongguan International Travel Agency handling the local arrangements. During the trip, it rained in the scenic area, and three teachers entered a hazardous zone, resulting in a lightning strike. One of them, a teacher surnamed Li, slipped down a slope and suffered severe head and limb injuries, requiring emergency hospital treatment.
After the lightning strike incident, Zhangjiajie tourism enforcement officers questioned both the plaintiffs and the Dongguan International Travel Agency tour guide. One of the teachers stated that when it started to rain, the guide only told them where to gather but did not promptly remind or guide them to stay away from or quickly exit the hazardous area, nor did they stop them from acting alone. The guide said that due to the rain, the guests were scattered, and she briefed the tourists walking at the back about safety measures. The people struck by lightning were those walking at the front, and she herself also saw warning signs every few meters in the scenic area saying "Lightning Zone, Danger." After prolonged mediation failed, the three teachers sued Dongguan International Travel Agency, demanding compensation of 567,133.97 yuan. The case is set to go to court today. While the probability of a lightning strike is very low, low probability doesn’t guarantee it won’t happen to you. As a traveler, being unfamiliar with the environment and terrain of your destination means you must have some basic travel safety knowledge to prepare for emergencies.
So how should travelers seek shelter when encountering thunderstorms during their trips? Senior hikers from a local outdoor forum shared some experience. First, pay attention to weather forecasts. When thunderstorms are forecasted, try to avoid going out for trips. Looking at the time distribution of thunderstorms, the likelihood of thunder in the afternoon is much higher than in the morning, and the weather is relatively cooler in the morning, making it the golden time for mountain travel. When encountering thunderstorms, be sure to stay away from mountaintops or other high places; if you’re in a forest, choose open areas for sheltering from lightning; entering caves is generally safe, but avoid leaning against the edges of stone caves. Do not use mobile phones, and stay away from handrails and iron chains. If you see lightning and then immediately hear thunder, it means you are in close proximity to a thunderstorm, and you should stop walking—running is even more dangerous. Wait until the thunder moves farther away before quickly finding a safe place to take shelter. It’s natural to use an umbrella for rain protection when going out on rainy days. But when traveling, it’s safer to carry a raincoat.
Additionally, lightning strike accidents under trees happen frequently. If you absolutely must take shelter under a large tree, maintain a distance of more than 2 meters from the trunk and branches, and crouch down as much as possible with your feet together. This reduces your effective height and helps prevent lightning strikes. Lightning strikes are somewhat selective. Water has a high conductivity and is more likely to attract lightning than other ground objects. Additionally, the boundary between land and water is where the soil resistance meets the water resistance, creating an interface with significant resistance variation—lightning leaders tend to be drawn to these areas. Therefore, lightning strikes by rivers are relatively common.
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