Lightning
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weather/weather.html
Key to Lightning Deaths: Location, Location, Location
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0522_030522_lightning.html
Colorado Lightning Resource Center
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/ltg.shtml
Lightning and Atmospheric Electricity Research at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center [pdf]
http://thunder.nsstc.nasa.gov/
Lightning the Whole Shocking Story [RealOne Player, Macromedia Shockwave Player, QuickTime]
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/
Electrified Ben
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/scientst/electric.html
Lightning Photography
http://www.stormguy.com/
Lightning Safety [pdf, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, txt]
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

First, Ron Hipschman at the Exploratorium introduces the formation of lightning and its power (1). Visitors can find a nice history of people's changing beliefs about occurrences of lightning. Next, the National Geographic provides an article about storm anatomy, the dangers of lightening, and the places most likely to be struck by lightening (2). Users can find continental maps presenting the relative numbers of lightening strikes. At the third web site, the Colorado Lightning Resource Center offers lightning fact sheets, safety guides, and statistics (3 ). Visitors can lean about lightning research and projects. This web site is a great source of lightning images as well. Next, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) discusses the GHCC Lightning Team's investigations of the causes and effects of lightning and analyses "of a wide variety of atmospheric measurements related to thunderstorms" (4). This expansive web site offers access to data, documents, reports, and press releases as well as information on field programs and instrumentation. The fifth web site, provided by the National Geographic, supplies educational information about lightning in a fun, kid friendly learning environment ({5--
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/}). Users can play games, take quizzes, view images, and much more. Next, The Franklin Institute Online features a creative article about Benjamin Franklin's curiosities about lightning ({6--
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/scientst/electric.html}). Educators can find electricity activities and teaching tips. At the seventh web site, severe weather photographer, Dave Crowley, provides countless lightning photographs (7). The images offer great examples of the power and wonder of lightning. Lastly, NOAA provides handouts, safety tips, photos, classroom presentations and more (8). Anyone searching for well prepared general lightning materials should visit this web site. [RME]