What is the probability of being struck by lightning in a person’s lifetime?
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This post was last edited by yuchenchf on 2016-11-28 at 14:46. Lightning may seem like a common natural phenomenon, but did you know that according to meteorological statistics, in 2010 there were 19,982 incidents of lightning-related disasters across the country. Of these, 759 incidents resulted in casualties, with 717 people dying and 640 people injured. The direct economic losses caused by lightning disasters that year exceeded 600 million yuan. After seeing these figures, do you still think lightning is something ordinary? Not everyone gets struck by lightning, but for some people, the probability of being struck by it throughout their lives is quite high. So take a look at the figures below to see what that probability is. With a population of 1.3 billion in the whole country, the probability that an individual will be killed by lightning is 717÷1300000000, which is approximately 1.8 million to one; the probability that an individual will not die from being struck by lightning is 640÷1300000000, roughly 2 million to one; and the probability that an individual will be struck by lightning in general is (717+640)÷1300000000, about 1 million to one. So, in a year, the probability of someone having 5 million is roughly the same as the probability of being struck by lightning 18 times!
:So everyone must definitely raise their awareness of lightning protection; even though the probability is low, it’s still important to ensure personal safety!
Where do the statistical data come from? How can I find them?
The lightning protection design and construction of various buildings are quite thorough, and lightning protection measures in cities are effective; as a result, buildings there are generally not struck by lightning. However, this is not the case in remote areas. Just like earthquake prevention, citizens need to develop an awareness of disaster prevention.