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Next week has been declared Lightning Awareness Safety Week by the National Weather Service. Andy Ervin, Meterologist with the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities says they pick this week to remind everyone that lightning causes more deaths than tornadoes or hurricanes and typically July has the most lightning fatalities.

He says whenever thunder is heard, people need to be aware that lightning is in the area and should finish any outdoor activity.  Ervin adds you can be significantly injured from an indirect lightning shock and says the best place to be safe is inside of your home or a hard‑topped car.

He says counting the seconds between a lightning strike and thunder is a good rule, however lightning can strike up to 12 miles away from a thunderstorm.  For more information, look here.