Given yesterday’s lightning strike in Jefferson County, the timing is perfect for the National Weather Service event that starts today—National Lighting Safety Week. In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million lightning flashes each year. During the past 30 years, lightning killed an average of 62 people per year. This ties the average of 62 deaths per year caused by tornadoes. The weather service has produced safety tips that are available on your weather scanner radio, and on their website. You can get information from two NWS websites at: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/week.htm and additional information at: www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/