5-31-2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha

The May 31, 2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha opened with a prayer, pledge and songs.

President-elect Cody White presided over the meeting, filling in for President Michael Oberlender who was attending a church camp.

Guests included Logan Tibbetts, Abigail Elliott, Carolyn Beasley and Blake and Bailey White.

Prayer concerns include Bill and Janice McVey.

Cody reminded everyone to sign up and indicate if you will have a guest for the June 28 installation banquet at USAO.

Dr. Rocky Robertson was Rotarian of the Day. He introduced Dr. William Beasley of the OU Speaker's Bureau and a former dean of the OU School of Meteorology, as our speaker.

Given the storms that hit the area over the past two days, Dr. Beasley's presentation on lightning was most appropriate.

He said lightning is the number one cause of storm-related deaths in the U.S.

Odds of you getting hit by lightning is one in 700,000. Oklahoma ranks 5th in damage caused by lightning, sixth in injuries caused by lightning and seventh in lightning-related deaths.

Nationally, lightning-related losses total about $5 billion.

Beasley said about 80% of oil storage tank accidents are caused by lightning.

He said the most dangerous place to be during a lightning storm is out in the open.

About 50 percent of persons struck were out in the open, 25% were under trees and 25% were in or near water.

There is a lightning monitor-station located just north of Chickasha.

Beasley said there is no place absolutely safe from lightning but among the safest places to ride out a storm are substantially constructed buildings and a car made of metal. He said you should avoid being on wire phones or being near plumbing.

Precautions you can take against lightning include having lightning rods installed on your home, surge protectors on electrical appliances and monitoring weather broadcasts.

The meeting adjourned after recitation of the Rotary 4-Way Test.