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Somewhere in the world, someone is killed by lightning every day.
Keep your eye on the clouds. |
© 2002 Reuben Johnson |
| When working
outdoors, watch the weather as though your life depended on
it because it just may. If you're on an outcrop and
lightning
threatens, immediately
pack your gear and leave for safety. If you're
leading the field work, it's
YOUR responsibility to get your crew off the outcrop and to safety.
See the page on
lightning
for more information. |
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The rocks will always be there tomorrow. if you're careless, you may
not be. |
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In regions where you're working the leeward face of a mountain thereby
making approaching thunderstorms impossible to see, consider using a
combination communication/weather radio that has a built-in barometer.
If the barometric pressure suddenly drops,
get down to lower elevations before it's too late. |
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True Story:
Early in my years as an undergraduate geology student, I and the graduate
student I was working for were
foolish enough to get caught in electrical storms on TWO separate occasions.
Each time, we saw the storm early and watched it approach for over an hour,
but failed to recognize it as a threat until it was too late and had to
desperately scramble for safety. |
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Flash Floods are the number one storm-related
killer. |
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When working in gullies or washes, keep an ear out for the sound of
rushing water and an eye out for distant rainstorms.
See the page on
flash floods
for more information. |
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The rocks will always be there tomorrow. if you're careless, you may
not be. |
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If the above-pictured "dry" wash were to suddenly flood, the geologist
working there may have a hard time scampering out given the crumbly nature
and steepness of the walls in spite of their low height. |
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True Story:
Read a
first-hand account of a flash flood that caught several hikers by
surprise in the San Rafael Swell of Utah. |
