Doctor offers lightning safety tips

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The national weather service said lightning kills more people in New Mexico than any other weather event, and now officials are letting residents know exactly what to do during a lightning storm.

Dr. Graydon Aulich with Langmuir Labs at New Mexico Tech said you should never run under a tree for cover. He said your best option would be to ride out the storm in an enclosed structure.

Once in the structure, he said not to touch plumbing, wiring or use a corded phone.

If you can't make it to an enclosed shelter, the next best option is your car. When you're in the car, sit in the center and don't touch the steering wheel or the doors.

"If you are in a place where there is no shelter, say you are hiking and you are far from anything then the only thing you can do to improve your odds is to squat down on the balls of your feet. Keep your feet close together, hold on to your knees and stay as low as you can. That's a last resort you don't want to have to do that," Aulich said.

Aulich said a big myth states that someone will be electrically charged and a danger to touch if they are stuck by lighting. He said that's not true, and it's important to give aid to the victim right away.

The National Weather Service says 85 people have died from lightning strikes in New Mexico in the last 50 years.