Lightning continues to be the second greatest storm-related killer in the United States, but remains one of the least understood. Since 2001, the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have embarked on an effort to educate the public on the dangers associated with lightning. As part of this effort, a variety of outreach materials have been developed to help educate the public on this dangerous weather phenomenon. These materials include NOAA's Lightning Safety Web Site, safety brochures, presentation materials, and a variety of children's activities and games.

This talk will highlight one of the more recent additions to NOAA's lightning educational materials -- a PowerPoint presentation that will be made available to educators and the public on lightning and lightning safety. This new presentation includes animated graphics which help to explain the scientific processes involved in a lightning flash and its associated dangers. This talk will also include several examples of high speed light video which depict the various components of an individual lightning flash.