This week is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week, an effort by the National Weather Service to increase awareness about the dangers of lightning and what steps can be taken to be as safe as possible. According to the National Weather Service, the safest place to be during lightning activity is a sturdy structure or a hard-top vehicle. Typically, a rain shelter, small shed, or open vehicles are not safe. It’s also best to not touch anything plugged into an electrical outlet, plumbing, or corded phones. Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Although most lightning occurs in the summer, people can be struck at any time of year. Lightning kills 20 or more people in the United States each year, and hundreds more are severely injured.