Your Hair Can Save Your Life!

I recently experienced first-hand how hair can actually save your life.

My daughter and I were on our small boat, heading out to watch the Fourth of July fireworks when I noticed something strange: her hair was standing straight up, as if she had just rubbed a balloon over her head. She told me my hair looked the same and we both had a laugh. Then I remembered something important. Hair standing on end is a sure sign of an imminent lightning strike. We had just had some powerful storms hit the area and could still see some flashes in the distance. So, we immediately turned the boat around and headed toward the harbor and what we thought was safety.

What we should have done, according to weather experts, was to crouch down in the center of the boat away from metal hardware. If that wasn’t an option, we should have immediately gotten to shore and out of the boat.

Apparently, boating is one of the riskiest activities you can do when there’s electricity in the air. The positive charges had actually moved up our bodies, causing our hair to stand on end in a final warning that lightning was about to strike. An actual strike can cause cardiac arrest and claims up to 80 lives each year in the United States.

If your hair ever warns you that lightning is in the area, take shelter immediately and be thankful that Mother Nature gave you a heads up. I know I am.